


Not without a fight

by PaxterHobber



Series: Home is where the heart is [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Alive Hale Family, Alpha Derek, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Fic, M/M, Nothing rapey between Stiles and Derek, Omega Stiles Stilinski, POV Alternating, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-08-09 04:34:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 42,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16443038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaxterHobber/pseuds/PaxterHobber
Summary: In a world where omegas are freely traded and kept as pets, Stiles takes his daughter and escapes his abusive Alpha. When trying to hide from rain, they stumble upon a burned-down house in the woods...





	1. Chapter 1

Stiles looks at the dark clouds with worry. Rain is the last thing they need after the shitty day that had. The wind picks up and he shivers with cold, tugging his thread-bare jacket closer.

“Daddy?”

He looks down at his daughter. Claudia is all bundled in the too-large parka he stole from an unlocked car in a parking lot. He felt a little bad about stealing the jacket but judging from the type of the car, the family could probably afford a new one. He needs it more. Her hands are still ice cold and he tries to rub some warmth into them.

“It’s okay, baby, I’m gonna find us a place to spend the night,” he ruffles her hair affectionately, noting the bruises have almost completely faded. He lost track of the days they’ve been on the run, but it’s probably close to two weeks now and he’s bone-tired. Not that he would admit that to Claudia. Instead, he puts on a cheerful smile and lifts her to sit on his shoulders

He looks around for any clues as to which way to go. He left the city behind, its lights bright in the late evening. It’s safer to stay out of sight. He took his last suppressant yesterday, somebody might be able to tell he’s an omega. His stomach turns at the idea of having to venture to that discussing alley for a new dose but he forces it to the back of his minds. First things first. He needs to find somewhere to hide from the rain.

There’s a small dirt road leading deep into the forest with tire marks that don’t look too old. Maybe it leads to a cabin. It would be probably deserted this time of the year. Stiles sends a silent prayer to whatever gods may be listening and sets of on the road.

The deeper he gets into the forest, the darker it becomes. He keeps an easy chatter with Claudia, who is gripping his hair tightly. His neck and shoulders are killing him and in his chest his heart is beating with fear. This was a bad idea. He should have found a bridge to hide under like yesterday. But then again, he saw how the man turned his head to stare as walked by this morning, wrinkling his nose. He must smell. He’s attracting too much attention.

He drudges on, one exhausting step after another. Every breath he takes in is agony. The cracked ribs Alpha gave him last month send a jolt of sharp pain with every step. When the first raindrop falls, he wants to cry. Instead, he uses the last reserves of his energy to pick up the pace, panting as he goes.

The silhouette of the house appears from behind the trees just as he is about to collapse on the wet forest floor. It looms forebodingly in the dark; parts of the walls are missing, with charred beams protruding towards the sky. Still, sections of the roof are intact and will at least protect them against the rain.

“See? We’ll be warm and dry here,” he tells Claudia, who is a dead weight on his shoulders, half asleep, her head resting on top of Stiles’ head. With renewed energy he carries her inside, finding a dry spot in what looks like it used to be a living room. There’s still some of the furniture and Stiles gently deposits Claudia on the scorched sofa. She only mumbles something and curls into a ball. Stiles looks around for something to cover her with but finds nothing.

He slides down on the floor next to the sofa and rummages the insides of his backpack. There are two energy bars he pickpocketed at a gas station but he saves those for Claudia. Instead, he bites into the leftover stale bread. It’s hard to chew and harder to swallow without any water but Stiles is just too exhausted to get up and collect some rainwater. He’ll do it later.

Even with the house being a ruin, it’s still significantly warmer inside, sheltered from the rain and wind. It is nice. And abandoned. Stiles’ heart picks up with excitement even though he tries not to let himself hope. They could stay here, hidden from people. Stiles could make his runs into the city for food, scavenging the leftovers at fast food restaurants as he’s done before, stealing what he could get away with… Alpha would never find them and they would live here forever, growing their own vegetables and keeping a couple of hens and a goat. Stiles smiles at his own fantasies and feels himself fall into an exhausted sleep.

*

He wakes up with a jerk, his heart already beating with dread. He looks around, confused, trying to figure out what woke him up. Above him, Claudia is still sleeping soundly. Then he hears it again. Rustling of the grass as somebody is walking outside. _Shit._

“Claudia, baby, somebody is coming, you gotta hide for a while.”

She blinks at him blearily but doesn’t say a word when he carries her to an empty fireplace. It is mostly blocked by rubble, creating a perfect hiding place for a scrawny three-year old.

“Stay real quiet okay? It’s going to be alright.” She looks at him with huge honey-colored eyes and nods. Stiles’ heart aches at the knowledge that she’ll obey. She’s has learned to stay hidden and quiet a long time ago.

Stiles shortly contemplates running but knows it’s futile. He can’t leave his daughter behind and together they’re slow, they would never make it far unknown woods. All he can do is stand quietly by the wall, hoping for the best.

The steps hesitate for a while and then start coming closer. Stiles takes a deep breath and wills himself to calm down, putting on a hopefully relaxed expression.

Soon a man appears in the doorway, scowling at Stiles with a slight confusion. He’s young, probably not over thirty, dark haired, with a stubble and piercing green eyes. His broad shoulders and muscled arms look like he could snap Stiles in two. Immediately, the smell of an Alpha fills the room and Stiles curses internally. Of course he has to run into a fucking Alpha.

“Who are you? What are you doing here,” the man growls.

“I’m really sorry if I’m trespassing, I went for a jog and got lost. I hid here from the rain,” he grins. “I’ll be gone at first light.”

The man doesn’t say anything, only stares at him with an intense expression. He starts to walk closer and Stiles takes a few steps back, putting as much space between them as possible.

“… or now. I can leave now. I really don’t want any trouble.”

“You’re an omega,” the alpha states incredulously, his nostrils flaring. Stiles’ stomach drops. He knew he should have gotten the suppressants earlier, he just couldn’t make himself go back there. Getting illegal drugs from street thugs was not fun. And now he’s fucked.

Stiles drops the charade. “Okay, yes, but- look, I’ll leave. I’m sorry.”

“You’re a runaway,” the man states again, his eyebrows turning into even a deeper scowl. “I’m calling the omega services.”

“Wait, no – come on, I’m sure we can figure something out,” Stiles proposes, putting on his most seductive smile, winking suggestively, even as his insides are knotted in fear. The man doesn’t dignify his pathetic attempt with an answer, only shoots a glare at him as he pulls out his phone from his pocket.

“Wait, please,” he takes a step forward, his arms extended towards the phone. “Just- Please. What’s your name?”

“Derek,” the man answers reluctantly.

“Derek, hi! My name is Stiles.” _Always make them see you as a person_ , his dad taught him this lesson. It was meant for a completely different type of scenarios, but whatever. “We’ll just leave and you’ll never hear about us again, I swear.”

Derek lifts his head and scents the air again. “Who’s _we_?”

For a second, Stiles doesn’t understand the question but then he wants to slap himself. _Stupid_. There’s rustling sound from behind him as Claudia hurries from her hideout, wrapping her arms around Stiles’ legs. She was probably listening to the conversation. He can’t blame her she ran to him for safety.

“You have a _pup_? Are you out of your mind?” Derek barks. “It’s almost November. It will be freezing soon, how on Earth do you think you’ll survive out there?”

“But-”

“I’m calling the omega services, they’ll help you.”

Stiles opens and closes his mouth a few times but nothing comes out. There is nothing worse than a righteous alpha convinced his doing him a favor. _Help him._ He wants to scream. All the omega services will do is return him to his Alpha. Or, and Stiles is not sure which is worse, sell him to the first Alpha with enough money.

He watches frozen in panic as Derek makes the phone call. His legs give up under him and he collapses on the cold floor, hugging Claudia to his chest, holding for his life. Running is still in the back of his mind but he knows it’s futile. It’s over. What he needs to do now is cooperate so that he can at least protect his pup.

Time passes sluggishly, as they sit on the floor, holding onto each other. He’s aware of Derek standing awkwardly nearby but doesn’t pay him any mind. It’s only when he hears the rumble of an engine that he forces himself back to reality.

Two men enter the room, looking more than annoyed to be working late at night. They go straight to Stiles, lifting him roughly. A sturdy collar is locked around his neck and his ankles are cuffed together with a short chain that only allows him to shuffle towards the van parked outside, gripping Claudia firmly by the hand.

“Is that really necessary?” He hears Derek protest somewhere behind him.

“Thank you for calling. We’ll take care of him,” the man answers coldly.

As the back door of the van is about to close, he chances one last look at Derek. He’s standing on the porch, arms crossed over his chest, that stupid scowl still on his face. Before Stiles can summon a hateful glare of his own, the doors is banged shut and Derek disappears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my new fic, let's see where this one'll take us:) It will have alternating POV so the next time will be from Derek's POV.


	2. Chapter 2

When Derek finally makes it to the lot, the sky is already grey at the horizon. He collapses to the bed with a groan and toes off his shoes. They fall to the wooden floor with a loud thud and Derek blindly searches for the comforter kicked in the corner of the bed.

He’s exhausted and yet sleep won’t come. Every time he closes his eyes he sees the omega, his doe-like eyes, glaring at him from the back of the van.

He should have stayed in bed last night but he likes to walk whenever he can’t sleep to clear his thoughts and tire himself out. And just like many times before, his steps inevitably took him to his old house, without even him noticing. The house just held so many memories for him. _You should just tear it down_ , his mother kept telling him, _it will only attract squatters._

That was also the first thing that came to his mind when he smelt that smell. It was sweat and intoxicating, yet muffled, partly by the dribbling rain and partly muted by something bitter and chemical.

He expected a lot but not a fucking omega, and with a small child on top of that. And he looked so young, too. It was hard to tell in the dark and with how skinny he was but Derek wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t even twenty, maybe early twenties tops. And the child…

Doing the math leaves a bitter taste in Derek’s mouth. He did the right thing though, calling the services. At least they’ll have a bed to sleep in tonight and something warm to eat. And they’ll find them a new home, somebody who’ll take care of them. It’s none of Derek’s business now. _Just stop thinking about him_.

He watches the shadows travel slowly across the room, the noise of traffic increasing as the morning rush begins. Finally, he gives up on pretending to be trying to sleep and gets up. He makes himself a double espresso and browses his Facebook mindlessly. When a picture of Erica, laughing with friends in a bar with the description _what a blast, thank you for the party_ , pops up, he gets an idea.

Finishing the coffee in one gulp, he sheds the muddy jeans from yesterday and fishes a slightly less dirty pair from the pile on the couch. He doesn’t bother waiting for the lift, running down the six flights of stair, and gets into his Camaro parked in front of the building.

On his way to the omega center, he stops at the nearest gas station. He picks the biggest box of chocolates he sees and heads towards the counter, when his eyes land on a shelf of plush toys by the wall. Before he can talk himself out of it, he grabs a small plush wolf and pays for his purchase.

Once there, he goes straight to the reception and asks for Erica. The beta bursts through the _staff only_ door a moment later, her heels clicking on the tiles. She’s wearing a tight fitting pencil skirt showing her long slim legs and a blouse with her employee card clipped to it.

“Derek,” she grins at him. “What are you doing here?”

He thrusts the box of chocolate into her hands. “Happy birthday. I know I’m late, sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she just waves her hand. “We missed you yesterday, though.”

“Yeah, I was…” he trails. He really doesn’t have an excuse, he just couldn’t make himself leave the safety of his apartment and go to a noisy bar full of mostly strangers. In the end, he just shrugs. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“Hm,” she says noncommittally, watching Derek expectantly.

“So, um. The omega you got yesterday…”

She narrows her eyes. “It was you who called, wasn’t it? You wanna see him?”

“Yeah,” he breathes out in relief, glad he doesn’t have to actually ask.

She leads him through several doors, scanning her card to unlock each one. Finally, she nods her head towards a sturdy looking door with a window on top, allowing him to look inside. The room is completely bare, not even a bed, only a padded floor. A toilet and a sink are taking one of the corners, completely exposed without anything to give them any kind of privacy when using it.

The omega – Stiles, Derek remembers – is sleeping on the floor, his back pressed against the wall in the far away corner. The pup is curled up against his chest, her face hidden in the crook of his neck, only a mop of matted brown hair showing.

In the too bright fluorescent light, Stiles is deathly pale. In his sleep, with all the lines of worry and stress smoothed out of his face, he looks even younger than Derek remembers from yesterday. His long eyelashes flutter against his cheeks in his restless sleep, but he doesn’t wake up. His face is splattered with dark moles and his hair of the same brown color sticks in every direction.

“Oh, I know that look,” Erica chuckles beside him. “Sorry to disappoint you honey, but he’s not for sale right now.”

He tears his gaze away, turning to Erica. “So what’s going to happen to him?”

“Well, with runaways it’s protocol to check whether they haven’t been abused. We’ll need to investigate his Alpha and where he was kept. If everything’s cleared, he will be returned. If not, he’ll be offered on the market.”

“How long does that take?”

“A couple of weeks, a month, you know how it is,” she shrugs. “I can put your name in, though. You’ll be the first one on the list.”

Derek looks back at the omega and feels his unease increase, sitting heavily in his stomach. Is this really how it works? He’d go crazy if he had to spend a day in that room, not to mention weeks. And with a small child – that’s just plain cruel.

“Could he stay with me?” he hears himself say. “Until – you know, things get settled?”

Erica hums contemplatively. “I guess. But I don’t think I can get you any compensation for the living expenses.”

“That’s fine,” he growls. It’s not like he can’t afford two extra mouths to feed.

“And they need to be looked over by our medical staff. For evidence. Why don’t you pick them up tomorrow morning, I’ll get the papers ready.”

“Thank you,” he says earnestly. He pulls the little stuffed toy from his pocket and hands it to Erica, who just smiles.

“But you’d better come to the bar next Friday, you owe me a beer!” she calls after him, as he’s already leaving.

Back in the car, he hides his face in his hands, letting the enormity of what he’s done sink in. Did he just volunteer to take in a strange omega and his pup to his home? He loves living alone. Why did he just sacrifice his privacy? His protective Alpha instincts took over and now he’s fucked.

His panic escalating, he takes out his phone and dials Laura.

“Hey, bro! Nice to know you’re still alive,” she greets cheerfully with only a hint of reprimand in her voice. “What’s up?”

“Same old, you know. Just wanted to ask you something. You’re good with kids, right?”

There’s a startled pause and then she laughs. “What did you do, Derek?”

“Nothing,” he grumbles. “But an omega and his pup might come live with me for while. And I have no idea what to get the kid.”

“Well, how old is the pup?”

“Um, I’d say about… I don’t know, two years? Three? I have zero experience with children.”

Laura laughs again, clearly enjoying Derek’s plight. “Alright, you know what, get some basics, some pyjamas, some pencils, a book – don’t go overboard, you can get the rest later. And if you’re really desperate, call me. I’ll come over. You’ve got this,” she says and her tone softens encouragingly.

“Thanks,” he says distractedly, already making a mental shopping list. He knew why he called her, he already feels his panic recede.

He drives directly to the mall and heads to the children’s section. There are racks upon racks with different styles of clothes, dresses and overalls and leggings, majority of them with some kind of princesses he’s never seen before. He’s getting overwhelmed again, so he just grabs bright pink pyjamas, some underwear and socks, and – on a whim – he throws in a dress with a large bow in the back. He takes everything in three sizes, resolving to just return whatever doesn’t fit.

Next he wanders through the toys, his fingers itching to get the huge doll’s house. He heeds his sister’s advice though, and only buys some coloring books and pencils and a small Lego set.

It gets easier once he finally moves to the men’s section. Still, by the time he gets to the cash counter, his cart is overflowing. All that is left is to stack his pantry and fridge. He buys enough groceries to last them at least a week and carries all the bags to his car. He deposits them on the passenger’s seat, as the Camaro’s trunk can’t hold all of them.

He needs to take two trips to carry everything home. The rest of the day flies away in a blur of putting away things and cleaning. It was long overdue, anyway, and when he’s finally done, he looks around the place in satisfaction. He really should clean more often.

It’s still early but Derek can barely stand on his feet. His head barely hits the pillow before he falls asleep, unable to even start worrying about tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fire obviously happened but everyone is still alive in this fic (Yay!)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter seriously sucks for Stiles, sorry!

Stiles falls in and out of sleep as he lies on the floor in their cell. Claudia is still sound asleep, breathing deeply against his chest. Small mercies, he thinks, at least he can let his cheerful mask slip, giving way to the panic really feels.

He has no idea what’s going to happen and that uncertainty is killing him. Last night, they just shoved them inside the room, locking the door behind them, without a single word. He honestly expected to be driven straight back to his Alpha, and boy, would that suck, but at least he knew which punishment his Alpha preferred and how to best appease him. But here, without any way to tell how long they’ve been here or anything to occupy his mind with, he feels the dread settle in his bones.

Stiles has never been inside the omega center, either. He knew it was there, walked past it countless times as a kid but never paid it any attention. He never thought it would happen to him. His dad was a beta, as was his mom. She died a long time ago, long before he presented. Still, he holds the memories of her gentle embrace close to his heart, thinking about her whenever he feels he can’t take anymore. He likes to think this would have never happened if she was still alive. She would have loved him, regardless of what he was.

He still remembers the look of utter heartbreak and despair on his father’s face when he got his first heat at the age of 15. Just a week from his sixteenth birthday. He was planning his birthday party with friends the following weekend. His plans were ruined that day when he woke from feverish nightmares and felt slick between his legs.

He went to find his dad immediately and told him, tears spilling down his face. His dad hugged and told him they’ll figure it out and Stiles was stupid enough to believe him. At that time he still had two years, until the age of 18, to find himself a mate of his own choice before being seized by the center and put on the market.

It took less than a week for his father to get rid of him, though. He was home alone when they knocked on the door. A lady with a badge on her shirt and a file under her arm and two buffed officers with tasers behind their belts. They took him away and his dad wasn’t even there to say goodbye. Probably too ashamed of him. It was easier this way, Stiles supposes. He went straight to his Alpha and that’s where he’s been ever since.

He’d never do this to Claudia, he thinks fervently and holds her a little closer. Not that he any real power to protect her though, and that thought twists a knife in his guts. His only hope is that she’ll turn out to be a beta or Alpha or that the laws will change in the 13 years or so she has left.

The door opens and he quickly snaps back from his musings. He sits up, cradling Claudia in his arms. A man in a white coat and a guard stand in the doorway, looking down at them.

“We’ll start with the child,” the man in the coat says and the guard takes a step forward.

Stiles shuffles back as much as he can, his heart hammering in his chest. He knows he’s holding her too tight, probably bruising her arms, but she doesn’t say a word, only looks at the stranger with huge eyes and presses closer to Stiles.

“Hand her over,” the guard says and places his hands threateningly on his belt.

“Please,” Stiles begs. “Please, let me come, too. She’ll behave when I’m there, please.”

The man doesn’t even acknowledge his desperate begging and grabs Claudia by the arm. He’s strong, much stronger than Stiles in his starved and exhausted state, and after a pitifully short fight, he has her thrown over his shoulder.

“Daddy!” Claudia wails from the top of her lungs and kicks her little feet but it’s to no avail. They’re out of the door before Stiles can do anything and her screams grow distant as they carry her away.

Stiles feels like suffocating in the small room, gasping for air, blood rushing in his ears. He plasters his face against the small window but all he can see is a sterile empty corridor. He tries kicking the door, banging his fist on the padded surface, shouting for anyone.

Nobody comes though and time crawls by tortuously slowly. He has no idea how long he’s been pacing the cell when the door finally opens. The same guard as before places his listless daughter on the floor.

Immediately, Stiles is by her side, taking her head in his arms. She’s awake, looking at him with large unfocused eyes, but her every movement is sluggish. She’s been obviously drugged and Stiles wants to jump at the doctor and claw at his ugly face.

“What did you do to her?” he asks instead, not tearing his eyes from Claudia.

“She’s just sedated, she wasn’t cooperating,” the doctor says, annoyed. “You’re next, come on.”

The mere idea of leaving his baby, drugged and confused, all alone in this room, makes him physically sick and his muscles lock, refusing to move. From the corner of his eyes he sees the guard step forward and he jumps up on unsteady legs before he can be dragged away. He needs to cooperate. He can’t afford to be drugged, too.

The doctor leads the way and Stiles follows, looking around to get a better idea of where they are. And how to get out, ideally, even though it quickly becomes clear that without an access card they’re not going anywhere.

They enter what looks like a standard doctor’s office, with a table and a computer and a padded examination table by the wall. With trepidation Stiles notices the straps and fold-up stirrups but he forces his eyes away and takes a deep breath.

“Strip,” the doctor instructs. A nurse is sitting at the computer, her fingers ready on the keyboard and she’s looking expectantly at the doctor.

Stiles obeys, stripping the filthy clothes he’s spent the last two weeks in. He stops at underwear but when he sees the look on the doctor’s face, he adds that to the pile as well.

Once Stiles is completely naked, the doctor dons a pair of white latex gloves and starts the examination. He shines in his eyes and ears and looks down his throat, commenting as he goes and the nurse tapping on the keyboard.

“Definitely needs dental work,” he comments and Stiles thinks of their only toothbrush that they’ve had for years and had to share. “Slight scarring on the back, healed completely, clearly an old injury,” the doctor keeps a running commentary and Stiles wants to scoff. _Injury_ , right.

“Bruising on the torso,” he places a gloved hand against his ribs and presses. Stiles gasps in pain. “A cracked rib or two probably, would need an x-ray to tell for sure.” Finally he lets him go and Stiles fight to stay on his legs, still dizzy from the pain.

“Alright, let’s have a look inside,” the doctor nods towards the examination table. Stiles climbs up, the plastic sheet covering the table crinkling underneath him. His breath comes in short gasps and his hands visibly shake. He forces his stiff legs into the waiting stirrups and stares at the ceiling, trying to get his mind to drift.

Without any warning, he is breached by something cold and metallic, and he flinches hard.

“Do I need to use the straps?” the doctor asks warningly and Stiles manages a small shake of the head.

There’s a clicking noise and he feels himself being stretched open. He hides his face in his hands, biting his palm to give himself something else to focus on. He barely hears the doctor as he continues his commentary. “Minor tears, everything’s healed up nicely. Let’s take a swab and we’re done.”

After that he is finally allowed to redress in his smelling clothes. He struggles into the pants over the tears in his eyes, with his hands shaking like crazy. The doctor only nods towards the door and Stiles understands he’s being dismissed. He practically runs from the room, almost colliding with the guard waiting outside.

When he gets back to the cell, Claudia is where he left her, still pretty much out of it. Stiles collapses next to her, wrapping himself around her, as if he could protect her from anything coming their way.

They are left alone for the rest of the day, their solitude only interrupted by a young girl bringing them two bowls of tasteless porridge. Stiles gives most of his portion to Claudia, and only when she can’t eat anymore does he finish the rest, licking the bowls clean.

With no natural light it’s hard to say the time but Stiles guesses it’s getting late when the door opens again. He looks warily at the young blonde but she’s not flanked by any guards and gives them a friendly smile.

She crouches in front of them and holds a small plush wolf towards Claudia. Stiles sees her eyes grow wide but she doesn’t reach for it, glancing uncertainly at Stiles. Only when he nods does she reverently take the toy.

“It’s from Alpha Derek,” the lady says and Stiles’ stomach sinks. “He’s picking you up tomorrow, you’ll be staying with him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I slept about ten hours in total for the last three nights thanks to my children taking turns waking up. Please excuse any mistakes, I'm running on fumes. And a shitload of caffeine.


	4. Chapter 4

As they are led them from their cell the following day, Stiles is clutching Claudia’s hand a little too tightly. She is trotting next to him, struggling to keep up with the pace of the guard. In her other hand, she is holding the plush wolf. Her eyes are huge as she takes everything around them in.

To be honest, Stiles is terrified too. He has absolutely no idea what Alpha Derek plans to do with them. What if he is a murderer who will bury them in the middle of the woods? What if he locks them in some dungeon and starves them to death? What if he hurts Stiles so much he won’t be able to take care of Claudia. Or worse yet, what if he hurts Claudia?

He still remembers the moment Alpha first laid his hands on Claudia. The sound as Alpha backslapped Claudia so hard she hit her head against the wall still haunts him in his nightmares. Something in Stiles snapped at that moment and he knew they had to escape. The following night he boosted Claudia over the garden fence and jumped right after her. That was the easiest part. As they stood in the middle of the luxurious neighbourhood, he knew they were completely on their own. Finding food, shelter, clothes – those were the real challenges.

When they are ushered to what looks like a reception, Stiles spots Derek immediately. In broad daylight he doesn’t look that intimidating, more like… nervous. Which is weird and probably doesn’t bode all that well for them.

“Hello,” Derek says softly once they are alone in the room, the guards having returned to where they came from. Stiles bows his head in acknowledgement but doesn’t say a word. He’s going to play this save. _Speak only when spoken to_. The first rule of every good omega. Can’t really go wrong there.

Derek crouches in front of Claudia with a small smile. “And what’s your name?”

Claudia immediately hides behind Stiles, pressing her face in the back of Stiles’ legs.

“Claudia,” Stiles answers for her. “Sorry, she’s not much of a talker.” That’s not really true. On good days, when Alpha was gone, Claudia could talk his ears off.

Derek fortunately lets it go. “Okay, let’s go then,” he says awkwardly and leads them out of the building.

The drive is short but Stiles is sweating by the time they finally park outside a tall apartment building. Claudia is squirming on his lap the entire time, her face plastered to the window. Her weight puts pressure on Stiles’ damaged ribs, making him see stars. She’s never been inside a car, he can’t really blame her for being excited, though.

“Welcome to my home,” Derek says as he unlocks the door to his apartment on the top floor. Stiles takes a look around, surprised by how big the place is. The huge window gives them a view of the sky, providing the room with enough natural light despite it being a cloudy day. The old furniture lends the place a cosy and well lived-in air.

It’s nothing like Alpha’s lavish villa where every ugly painting on the wall probably cost more than Stiles himself. Not that he got to enjoy the luxury anyway. The first year he spent locked in a small room harder bigger than the cell they had in the center. It was only after Claudia was born that Alpha let him more around the house. If he deserved it, that is. He looks around anxiously, wondering where Derek plans to keep them.

“So, this is the main living room, that door is the bathroom, here’s my bedroom. You can knock anytime if you need something, but I would prefer if you didn’t go there when I’m not here.” He opens the last door, gesturing for them to look inside. “This is your room. I’m sorry there’s only one bed, I’ll set up an air mattress in the evening.” He opens the closet, revealing two piles of neatly folded clothes, with tags still hanging from them. “I got you some clothes, I hope you’ll find something that fits. We’ll return the rest.”

Stiles stands in the doorway, looking inside, his head spinning. Claudia is peeking from behind his legs, clearly excited but not daring to venture inside alone.

“Do you have any questions?” Derek asks, his brows furrowing. “You look confused.”

 _Well no shit_. He doesn’t even know what to ask. Are we allowed out of the room? What are my chores? How do I earn privileges? But it all just seems too stupid to ask. He’ll fuck up eventually and then he’ll learn. Finally he shakes his head.

“Okay. Why don’t you go wash up while I make something to eat.”

Yeah right. They’re still wearing their filthy clothes, probably assaulting Derek’s nose with the smell of their unwashed bodies. He feels his cheeks heat up and he quickly nod. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Just Derek, please.”

“Yes, Derek,” Stiles forces out even though it feels enormously wrong.

“And Stiles?” Stiles freezes at the sound of his name. It’s been years since he heard somebody else say it out loud. It makes him feel like the person he was before – before he was just _omega_. The memories of school and friends and hanging out, just wasting their time playing video games all come rushing forward and it’s too painful. It doesn’t matter, he’s not that kid anymore. He focuses on the weight of Claudia as she’s hanging onto him to anchor himself back in the present. 

“Just throw the old clothes directly in the washing machine,” Derek continues oblivious to Stiles’ little personality crisis. “And use anything in the bathroom, towels, washcloths, I even got you some bubbles if you want,” he says with a wink towards Claudia and leaves the room.

Once alone, Stiles goes to the closet and takes out the clothes. There’s quite a lot and he goes through them, assessing the size and material, looking for something warm that will last her the longest while not falling off of her.

“Daddy, look!” Claudia whispers excitedly and holds out a shiny purple dress with a huge bow. “It’s so pretty!”

Stiles smiles at her sadly. “It is. But you don’t need a dress, baby. It’s gonna be real cold soon, we need something warm and comfy. You heard Alpha Derek, we need to return the rest.”

She doesn’t argue, just strokes the soft material of the bow one last time and then carefully returns the dress back to the closet. Her eyes shine with unshed tears but she doesn’t make a sound and after a while she calms down. Stiles’ heart breaks, knowing Alpha’s wrath is the reason why’s learned to calm herself that quickly.

He takes the chosen clothes and they head to the bathroom. The large tub and the washing machine take up most of the space, but everything’s tidy and the faucets are all perfectly polished. With the dirty clothes in the machine, they stand completely naked in the room, waiting for the tub to fill. Stiles doesn’t have any reservations about his nudity in front of his daughter, though. Privacy is not something you get a lot of when you’re locked in a small room for days at a time.

In the bathtub, they scrub themselves clean with washcloths, turning the water murky grey. Stiles has to drain it and refill it three times before it finally stays clear. The last time, he pours some bubbles under stream of water as well. He must have put too much in, as the foam starts to rise so high Claudia is barely visible behind it.

Stiles takes the bubbles and creates a puffy beard on Claudia’s face. She starts to giggle, immediately taking a blob as well and plasters it all over Stiles’ face. They spend a long time in the tub, playing with the bubbles until the water turns lukewarm and their fingers are all wrinkled. Finally, Stiles wraps Claudia in a huge towel, turning her into a little burrito. He has her sit by the radiator while he takes care of the mess in the bathroom, returning everything into perfect order.

When they leave the foggy and humid bathroom, the smell of something delicious makes Stiles’ mouth water. Derek is standing the kitchen, chopping vegetables. A steaming pot is sitting in the middle of the table and Stiles’ heart picks up with hope and excitement when he sees the tree plates waiting there as well.

“Take a seat. Here, let me help,” Derek takes a throw pillow from the couch and puts it on the chair as a booster seat. To Stiles’ surprise, Claudia lets herself be lifted by Derek and deposited in the seat, her eyes glued to the food. Stiles sits down next to her and waits for Derek to join them.

“I made mac and cheese,” Derek says as he serves a generous amount on their plates. “I’ve read kids like it.” Derek glances uncertainly at Stiles, who’s too dumbfounded to even comment.

“What’s that, daddy?” Claudia whispers into Stiles ear, looking at the food with suspicious eyes.

“Pasta with cheese.”

She reaches for the food with her hand, about to stuff her mouth, and Stiles grabs her hand at the last moment. “What do you say?” he hisses at her, his heart beating with fear. That was close.

Her eyes grow wide as she realizes her mistake and she turns to Derek. “Thank you, Alpha”

“You’re welcome but you don’t really have to call me that,” Derek says softly.

“And use your fork,” Stiles hands her the fork and shows her how to hold it. She hasn’t had much practice eating with utensils and Stiles only hopes she won’t make too much of a mess.

They eat in silence, Derek frowning into his food most of the time, looking uncomfortable. Stiles struggles to clear the plate, not wanting to look ungrateful but his stomach not used to so much food. He can barely move but he still gets up to wash the dishes once they finish eating. Derek doesn’t protest and Stiles feels a little relieved, finally being useful as he’s supposed to be.

“Do you want me to put on a movie?” Derek asks, when the kitchen is sparkling clean. Claudia doesn’t answer but watches Derek with interest as he pulls out his tablet and tilts it towards her, showing a list of animated movies with posters.

“You can choose,” he says encouragingly. Claudia studies the screen for a while but then looks at Stiles for help, panic clearly written on her face, her bottom lip starting to wobble.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it, I’ll choose for you, okay? It’s okay,” Derek quickly intervenes, averting the crisis, and Stiles shoots him a grateful look.

Claudia curls under Stiles’ arm on the couch as the movie starts to play. Derek stays with them for a while but then goes to the kitchen table and works on his tablet. Stiles barely registers what’s going on, unable to get his mind to follow the story. He’s trying to process everything that has happened. In the morning he imagined a variety of ways the day could go but sitting on the couch watching TV, clean and with a full stomach, was definitely not one of the scenarios. In his mind he replays every Derek’s word and move, trying to find the catch but comes up empty.

Half-way through the second movie, Claudia starts to yawn, her eye-lids dropping. It’s already dark outside even though it probably isn’t all that late.

“You should probably call it day,” Derek says with a pointed look at Claudia half asleep on the couch. Stiles turns the TV off immediately. “Why don’t you put her to bed? It’s been a long day. I’ll be in my bedroom.”

Stiles’ heart picks up in anticipation. Finally something he understands. With Alpha he was expected in the bedroom every night. He has no idea what Derek’s preferences in bed are, but he is pretty confident he could survive. And if that’s what it takes to keep Claudia save for now, Stiles won’t hesitate.

He lays Claudia in the bed and tucks her in, cocooning her in the blanket the way his mom used to. He kneels on the floor next to her, running his fingers through her clean hair. She looks at him with sombre expression and whispers: “Come sleep with me?”

“I can’t just yet. I’ll join you as soon as I can, I promise. Go to sleep, baby.”

He stays at the bed until she closes her eyes and her breathing deepens. It doesn’t take long at all, she must be exhausted. Once she’s out, he quietly creeps from the room and tiptoes to the bathroom.

In the bathroom he rummages through the cabinets looking for some lube but finds none. It’s probably in Derek’s room. Or at least he hopes so. Standing in the middle of the bathroom, he bites his lips in indecision. Does he dare to go to Derek unprepared? He doesn’t want to get hurt too badly.

In the end he decides to just forego the lube and starts to finger himself open. He can’t make himself go past two digits but he supposes it will have to do. Trying to keep his mind carefully blank he knocks on Derek’s door before he loses his last shreds of courage.

“Yes?”

Stiles enters the room and closes the door behind him. Derek is sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, a tablet with a paused video on his lap. Stiles stays awkwardly by the door, waiting for instructions.

“Do you need anything, Stiles?” Derek finally breaks the silence, his tone gentle. Doubts start to creep in. Did he misunderstood the whole situation? Was it too pretentious to assume Derek would want to have anything to do with someone like Stiles? But then why would he bring an omega home if not to fuck him? That’s what omegas are for, isn’t it? Nothing makes sense and he wishes Derek would just get it over with so he can go back to Claudia.

“I just wanted to ask if… if I can be of service?” he grits out eventually, hoping Derek won’t make him ask for it explicitly. He hates having to ask to be fucked.

“What?” Confusion is clearly written on Derek’s face. “No, Stiles. You don’t need to do anything, go to bed, get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Stiles just nods and leaves the room. Tears of frustration and shame burn in his eyes and he takes a moment to collect himself. After his vision clears and he’s sure he’s not going to lose it, he returns to their room. He doesn’t even look at the air mattress and slips under the covers next to Claudia. He wraps his arms around her and she instinctively presses closer, hiding her face in her favorite spot under Stiles’ neck.

“Are you okay?” she mumbles, half asleep.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Go back to sleep,” he kisses her head and is out immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Mondays. Weekends are always super busy and hectic but on Monday morning, when my older is finally back in the kindergarten, I get to sit down with a cup of coffee and finish a chapter for you. Enjoy!
> 
> Next chapter will be Derek's POV


	5. Chapter 5

Derek wakes up with a jerk, surprised to find it is still dark outside. It feels like the middle of the night but when he turns over to look at his phone, the glowing clock shows 6:30. God, he hates these dark winter mornings.

He buries his face into the pillow, trying to get a few more minutes of blissful sleep but knows it’s futile. He’s too awake and all his thoughts turn immediately to Stiles, sleeping just behind the thin wall of his bedroom.

It still feels weird, knowing he’s not alone in his own home. All things considered, though, yesterday went much better than he anticipated. There was something deeply satisfying about taking care of the omega and his pup. As much as he hated all the talk about biology, seeing Stiles curled up on the couch yesterday touched some deep primal instincts that he didn’t even know he had.

With a final stretch he gets out of the bed and heads to the kitchen to start the coffee machine. He hesitates, his hand already on the doorknob, and then returns to put on some pants. Probably better not be seen half naked by the little one.

As he walks past the guest bedroom, a muffled sob coming from behind the door makes him stop in his tracks. He listens intently in the darkness and hears Stiles’ hushed whispering.

“Shhh, it’s okay, I’ll take care of it, Derek won’t find out.”

At the mention of his name, Derek unfreezes and knocks sharply on the door. All movement in the room stills. “Yes?” he hears Stiles croak out a beat later, sounding resigned.

Derek opens the door, taking in the scene before him. Claudia is standing by the wall, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Stiles is clutching the bed sheet in his hand. Behind him, a wet stain is clearly visible on the mattress, despite the dim lighting, and Derek immediately understands what happened.

“I’m sorry Al- Derek. It was an accident. I’ll take whatever punishment you want, please, she’s just a child,” Stiles starts to babble, wringing the soiled sheet anxiously in his hands.

“What, I’m not…” Derek says, irritation seeping into his tone. He stops and takes a deep breath, reigning in his anger at Stiles’ assumption that he would ever punish a child.

“Nobody is getting punished,” he tries again, keeping his tone soft and calm. “It’s okay, I’m not mad. Here, let me-” He walks into the room to grab the wet bedding, noting how Stiles flinches when he extends his arm towards him.

“I’ll put this in the machine.  Let the mattress air, crack open the window, Stiles.” He goes to crouch in front of Claudia, keeping his distance though. “Are you ready for some breakfast? I’ll make you some cocoa, what do you say?” She doesn’t look at him but she nods and wipes her face and nose into the sleeve of her pyjamas. Derek counts that as a win.

Once the washing machine is loaded, he puts milk on the stove to heat it up and starts the pancake batter. He’s putting the first one on the pan when Stiles finally emerges from the bathroom with Claudia in tow, changed in clean clothes.

When their eyes meet, he sees Stiles open his mouth and he shakes his head dismissively. Honestly, he feels like punching a wall if he hears Stiles apologize one more time. Luckily, Stiles closes his mouth with a click and goes to sit at the table.

“So, I thought we should go the mall today,” Derek says as he places the pile of pancakes on the table. “Think about what you need.”

Claudia takes the cup of cocoa in front of her in both hands and looks inside. “There’s something in my drink,” she whispers to Stiles, still loud enough for Derek to hear. Stiles peeks inside too and smiles. “Those are marshmallows, you can eat them.”

With a distrustful look she takes a sip and her eyes grow impossibly wide. She downs the rest of the cup in a record time, a pure delight clearly written on her face. It seems that the morning accident is forgotten. If only all of their problems could be solved with a cup of hot cocoa, Derek thinks.

When they arrive at the mall, it’s still early, yet people are already pouring. Mostly groups of teenagers, bursting with laughter and shouting good-heartedly at each other. Their shrieking voices and giggling carry all across the parking lot and Derek catches Stiles watching them with a wistful expression. It makes Derek wonder if maybe Stiles misses his friends and resolves to ask him about it later.

Derek makes his way through the crowd directly to the kid’s section again, starting to feel at home here.

“Okay,” he turns to Stiles, gesturing to the bag he’s carrying. “These are the things you want to return?” Derek looks inside and notes that it’s most of the stuff he bought. He must really suck at guessing sizes. Or they probably just did like the style, which – fair enough.

Derek looks around for one of the comfy sofas placed strategically around the shop and plops down. “Go pick anything you need. For both of you. The men’s section’s right over there. I’ll be here, come find when you’re done.” Stiles hesitates for a moment, shifting from foot to foot. In the end he just nods tersely and is off. Derek lets out a breath of relief. He hates shopping and is shamelessly glad to transfer the responsibility to someone else, despite the pang of guilt he feels when he sees the tension in Stiles’ shoulders as he walks away. Still, he’s infinitely more qualified to choose clothes for Claudia than Derek.

Derek pulls out his phone and browses aimlessly. He barely has time to become bored before Stiles is back, a shopping basket in his hands. He offers it timidly to Derek for inspection.

“Seriously?” he asks when sees the meagre contents. Stiles’ face crumples into an unhappy expression and his shoulders slumps. “I mean, this will last you, like – two days? And where are some outdoor things? Get some proper jackets, shoes, warm pants for Claudia, I don’t know what you wear to a park.”

“A park?” Stiles echoes feebly.

“Well, yeah.”

“All right, okay, fine.” Stiles says determinedly and leaves again, Claudia trotting behind him. Derek gets up and browses the shop as well. He ends up in the section with beddings and grabs an extra set. He throws in a mattress protector as well and slowly returns to his spot on the couch.

This time, when Stiles finally returns, he’s carrying two overflowing baskets. He sets them on the floor and looks at Derek challengingly.

“Better. Let’s get out of here.”

At the cash desk, Claudia stands on her tiptoes and eyes the shop assistant as she goes through the clothes to be returned, scanning the tags and folding them. She strokes the purple dress as it lays on the counter, playing with hem of the skirt. The longing expression on her face turns Derek’s stomach into knots. When the assistant reaches for the dress, Derek stops her.

“Actually, we’ll be keeping this.”

Claudia squeals a little and hugs the dress close as soon as the lady scans the tag. “Thank you, Alpha,” she mumbles into the material of the dress.

“What?” Derek says when he sees the incredulous look on Stiles’ face. “She can wear it at home.” Sure, the dress was impractical, probably even scratchy and way too cold for this weather, but it was totally worth the look on Claudia’s face.

They leave the shop, Stiles insisting to carry all the bags. They walk slowly through the crowd, making their way to the car, when Derek feels his phone vibrate. He fishes it out and sees it’s a text from Laura

_How’s it going with the omega?_

_Good_ , he replies laconically and rolls his eyes.

_Mom can’t wait to meet him :)_

Derek’s heart skips a beat. _Wtf, why did you tell her?_

_She asked about you, what was I supposed to do. Next Sunday, lunch at mom and dad’s. You’d better be there or we’ll come get you. :)_

_We’ll see._

_Srsly, Derek. You can’t hide from us forever._

_I’m not hiding_ , Derek thinks angrily, even though deep down he knows he kind of is. It’s just that ever since the fire he hasn’t been able to really look his family in the eyes. Despite their reassurances that they don’t blame him. They should blame him, though. It was his fault and in his nightmares he still sees the house burning, hears the roar of the fire, only in his dreams everyone he loves is trapped inside and there’s nothing he can do about it. He usually wakes up gasping, shaking, with sweat pooling on his back.

 _Fine,_ he types eventually even though he’s already thinking of plausible excuses. He slips his phone back to his back pocket and turns to Stiles. Only Stiles is nowhere to be seen. Derek immediately stutters to a halt and looks around with growing panic.

 _Someone took him_ , is his first thought as he scans the crowd. _If someone so much as harms a hair on his head, I’m gonna kill them_. Surprised by his own surge of protectiveness, he takes a deep breath to calm down.

He starts to walk in the direction he came from, wading through the crowd, and looking for a mop of brown unruly hair. _He ran away_ , a treacherous voice in the back of his mind offers immediately. Before he can make up a plan, he spots them. Stiles is standing by the wall with Claudia on his hip, looking several shades paler than usual, his eyes frantically searching the crowd. Derek lets out a breath of relief and schools his expression as Stiles, having spotted him as well, jogs towards him.

“I’m so sorry, Derek, I was looking at the games and I got distracted and then I couldn’t find you. I wasn’t trying to run, I swear.” He sounds a little breathless and is looking at Derek with huge eyes.

“It’s okay, it was my fault. I was texting and didn’t notice you weren’t following.” After a few beats of awkward silence, Derek adds to break the tension: “You can look at the games, I don’t mind.”

“Yeah, I was just looking at what came out since…” he trails off, looking at the display of games behind him.

“You like games?” Derek jumps at the opening to finally learn something about Stiles as they begin to walk away again.

“Yes, I mean, I used to.”

“Before you got mated? You found your Alpha pretty young, right?”

“I was sixteen. And I didn’t _find_ him, my father sold me to him. He was like sixty years old.” There is so much hurt and anger in Stiles voice, Derek doesn’t know what to say to make it better.

“That sucks,” Derek says even though it doesn’t even begin to cover how fucked up the society was. “Any other family?”

“Nope.”

“Friends?”

“N-no. Not really.”

He looks at Stiles and a heart-crushing realization makes words die on his lips. As much as he wants to, he can’t promise Stiles that everything’s going to be alright now. He can’t tell him he never has to see that abusive asshole of an Alpha again. It seemed like such a good idea at that time – take the boy in for a week or two and then send them on their merry way. And now, it feels like a lead ball is sitting in his stomach at the idea of letting Stiles and Claudia go. Shit, he’s in over his head.

“Let’s get some burgers,” he says finally, at loss of anything else to say. The little smile on Stiles’ face is gone before it can fully form but Derek still catches it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this new chapter, written for you in the middle of the night while my baby's awake, completely oblivious to the fact that I have to get up in three hours with my 3-year-old *tops up the coffee*


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the slightly longer wait. We threw a party for my daughter's third birthday - about five other three-year-olds came over and you can't imagine the chaos that ensued or the cleaning up I had to do. Anyway, enjoy!

Stiles is lying in the bed, not sleeping anymore and not yet awake enough to get up. He relishes the moment, the softness of the mattress beneath him, the serenity of an early morning when everyone else is still asleep. It’s like his small bubble in time, when he can just let his mind wander.

Yesterday was surreal and he still feels a little giddy just thinking about it. At first it was frustrating, trying to get a read on Derek and avoid all the invisible land mines, but once he just let go and decided to go with the flow, he had a surprisingly good time. Eating burgers in a mall just felt so… normal and yet just a few weeks ago he would have never dreamed of eating curly fries again.

At the same time, it scared him shitless. All these little things, having new clothes, eating junk food and not hurting all the time, they undermined the wall of numbness he built around himself and now he’s not sure if he can go back. And Claudia… She put on her dress the moment they arrived home and never took it off, she even insisted to put it next to the bed so she could see it when falling asleep. Stiles’ heart would shatter to million pieces if she had to go back to that hellhole, without any nice things or a hot cocoa to bright up her morning.

As he’s wallowing in his grim thoughts, a feeling of _something’s wrong_ creeps up into his mind. He snaps back to present, listening in the dark, trying to find the source of his unease.

It hits him at once and he sits up, heart already beating in his chest. In the past three years he’s become so accustomed to the sound of his daughter sleeping, he knows immediately something’s off. Her breaths are too shallow and laboured, and when he looks at her, he sees her hair is sticking to her sweat-covered forehead and her cheeks are flushed.

 _No, please, no_ , he begs silently but knows it’s futile before he even touches her. Sure enough, she’s burning up and her skin feels clammy. Stiles gets out of bed and starts to pace, his panic increasing. He has no idea what to do. She’s never been sick, which is not that surprising, considering they never really left the house.

Stiles tries to think back to when he was sick as a child. He remembers watching cartoons all day, huddled under a blanket, his mom making him a tea with honey and lemon. That he could do, probably, he thinks. Other memories push themselves forward, Stiles sitting in a waiting room full of couching and sniffling children while burning up with fever. He remembers the white coat but can’t summon the kind smiling face of his childhood doctor, all he sees is the man from the center, his hard eyes as they dragged Claudia away, and his stomach turns.

He won’t let that happen again. She just needs to rest and sleep it off. Derek doesn’t have to find out. She’ll be fine. She has to.

Stiles sits by the bed until the darkness turns into a grey cloudy day and he hears Derek rummaging around the kitchen. He takes a few deep breaths to get his nerves under control and then leaves the room.

“Good morning,” Derek smiles and then his eyebrows furrow in conclusion. “Where’s Claudia?”

“She’s still sleeping, I think she’s tired after yesterday,” Stiles answers, hoping his voice doesn’t shake too much.

Derek doesn’t comment but keeps glancing at Stiles as he shovels breakfast into his mouth so fast he almost chokes on it. “Thank you,” he mumbles, mouth still full of the scrambled eggs Derek made and gets up from the table without offering to do the dishes, as he would normally do. He doesn’t dare to ask Derek for tea but he fills a glass with warm water from the tap and hurries back to their bedroom

Claudia wakes up as he slips back and looks at him with glassy eyes. She takes a sip of the water with slow sluggish movements and then lies back down. Stiles resumes his position at the head of the bed, checking every five minutes if the fever’s going up and wondering how long they’ve got before Derek realizes something’s up.

The answer is not very long. After what feels like barely an hour, there’s a knock on the door and Stiles gets up with a hammering heart to put himself between the door and the bed.

A moment later Derek enters the room. “Hey, I was thinking…” he trails off, his eyes landing umistakenedly on Claudia curled up under the blanket. “Is she okay?” he asks, his voice surprisingly soft.

Before Stiles can get his panicky thoughts under control and form an answer, Derek takes a step forward, his arm outstretched towards Claudia, about to grab her, to take her away, and Stiles reacts before he can even realize what he’s doing.

“Don’t touch her,” he shouts and pushes Derek back with all his strength, which, admittedly, is not very impressive.

Derek is clearly taken aback by the outburst and his eyebrows rise in surprise. There is a moment of stunned silence and Stiles is about to apologize, beg for Derek’s forgiveness, when Derek just sets his mouth in a hard line and nods. “Okay. I won’t,” he says and leaves the room.

When he turns around he sees Claudia watching him with fearful expression so he puts on a smile, even though he wants to crumble on the floor and cry.

“It’s okay, I’m here,” he assures her and joins her in the bed to wrap his arms around her. He holds her a little too tight as his anxiety starts to consume him. Did he seriously just attack his Alpha? And Derek, no less – the only person who has shown him any kindness in almost four years. He’s fucked up so hard. They’ll be probably back in the center before this day is over. And Stiles deserves it for being such an idiot but Claudia… she doesn’t deserve any of this bullshit and Stiles just fucked it up for her as well.

Minutes tick by and Claudia falls back asleep. Stiles strains his ears, when he hears Derek talking to someone, probably on the phone, but he can’t make out the words. Then it’s silence again, suffocating and stuffy. Stiles opens the window when he feels like there’s not enough oxygen, like something is constricting his throat, making him dizzy, but the cold autumn air does nothing to ease the turmoil in his head.

Stiles freezes when he hears the main door open and Derek talking to someone in hushed voices. He plasters his ear to the door and listens as slow measured steps draw closer and are followed by a knock on the door. Stiles takes a step back, bracing himself for the door to fly open, for people to barge in, but nothing happens.

“Stiles?” an unfamiliar voice comes from behind the door instead. “My name is Dr. Alan Deaton. Would you let me have a look at your daughter?”

Stiles doesn’t answer for a while, looking at the door in disbelieve. There’s no lock, nothing stopping the man from just entering. But the door stays closed and eventually Stiles can’t take the silence anymore.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he says, trying to sound as threatening as possible.

“Of course not,” Deaton answers and he sounds infuriatingly calm and collected. “I won’t do anything without your consent and you will stay the whole time.”

Not really seeing any other option, Stiles lets out a breath and lets his shoulders slump. “Fine.” He takes Claudia, who’s been woken up by all the commotion, and holds her on his lap as he sits on the edge of the bed. “Come in.”

A dark-skinned man enters the room and smiles at them kindly. Stiles is strangely relieved when Derek follows him inside, glad not to be in the room alone with a stranger. “Dr. Deaton is a family friend,” Derek says, looking at Stiles imploringly. “He’ll help you.”

Stiles nods, not really trusting his voice. Deaton goes to sit on the other side of the bed and smiles at Claudia who presses herself against Stiles.

“Hello there. It’s okay, you can stay with your dad. I’m just going to have a quick look, okay? Look,” he pulls out a stethoscope and offers it to Claudia for inspection. “I’m going to listen to your heart and lungs with this.” Stiles sees curiosity slowly win over her fear as she turns the unfamiliar object in her hands. Finally she nods, and Stiles feels her uncurl a little on his lap.

The examination is over quickly with Deaton explaining every step and engaging Claudia. She stays on his lap the entire time but by the end, all of the tension has left her body and, to Stiles’ utter shock, she’s smiling shyly at the doctor.

“It’s looks like a viral infection. I’ll leave you some syrup for if the fever gets too high, otherwise just have her rest and drink plenty of fluids. And if anything, call me. Day or night.” He fishes out a sticker with a little cat from his bag and hands it to Claudia. “For being so brave,” he winks at her.

Deaton puts his supplies back to his bag and turns to Derek, who’s been standing silently by the wall. “Do you think I can have a moment alone with Stiles?”

Stiles’ heart picks up immediately and he clenches his hand in fists. Derek nods and goes to crouch in front of Claudia. “Do you want to go watch some cartoons with me?” She looks a little uncertain but reaches her arms towards Derek anyway, and lets herself be carried into the main living room.

Once alone, Stiles turns to the doctor, clenching his teeth so hard his jaw hurts.

“Do you have any health concerns you would like to discuss with me?” Deaton asks and Stiles is caught off guard by the unexpected question.

“Um…” he says, unsure, but the doctor is looking at him patiently. He thinks of his bruised ribs, of old broken bones that didn’t heal quite right, of the scars on his back but none of it seems like it needs to be attended to. “I don’t think so?”

“Okay, that’s fine, I’ll believe you if you say you’re fine but if you have any questions or concerns, I’ll be happy to help. Confidential, of course. I won’t tell Derek anything.”

“Maybe, can you-” he hesitates but then just thinks, what the hell, might as well give it a try. “Could you prescribe me suppressants?” he blurts, playing nervously with the hem of his shirt. Suppressants were a strictly controlled drug, which stopped omegas’ heats, while not suppressing their characteristic scents. Basically a birth control.

“Have you ever taken them before?” Deaton asks and Stiles is glad for the lack of judgment in his tone.

“Yeah,” he answers because there really is no point in denying it. A quick bloodwork is all it takes for them to find out, anyway. “But not- Not with prescription,” he says, unable to look the doctor in the eyes. The stuff on the black market is something completely different. A nasty cocktail of hormones to block the omega’s scent and all their biological functions. Stiles found out first-hand just how hard they were to get. After what he did in that filthy alley, all he got was a single blister pack that lasted him hardly two weeks.

“Hm, I’m afraid I can’t help you. You need to have at least one natural heat to make sure your body’s working the way it’s supposed to. We can talk then, okay?”

Stiles nods, trying not to feel too dejected. It was still worth a shot, he supposes. The idea of having to go through another heat fills him with too much dread to handle right now and he stamps it down immediately.

With a final assurance to call him if Claudia gets any worse, Dr. Deaton takes his bags and leaves the room. Stiles gives himself a few moments to collect his scattered thoughts and goes join Claudia in watching cartoons.

*

In the evening, with Claudia sleeping soundly in her bed, Stiles returns to the living room to find Derek sitting on the couch in the darkened room. Hesitantly he sits next to him. From the corner of his eyes he sees Derek glance up at him but he doesn’t say anything.

“I’m really sorry,” Stiles says finally after the silence gets uncomfortable but Derek stops him immediately.

“No, don’t worry about it.”

“But-”

“Really, it’s fine.”

It’s definitely not _fine,_ Stiles wants to argue but he’s too exhausted to summon the energy. Suddenly all he wants to do is curl up in Derek’s arms, to bury his face in Derek’s neck and just breathe in the smell of Alpha and safety and _home_.

Stiles jumps on his feet, surprised and confused by his own longing thoughts. Before now, the smell of Alpha made his hair stand on end and fear curse through his veins. How did this happen? He turns to hide in his room before he can do anything stupid but stops with one hand already on the handle.

“Thank you,” he says earnestly.

“You’re welcome, Stiles.”


	7. Chapter 7

Derek’s been standing in front of his wardrobe for the past ten minutes, staring angrily at the few crumbled Henley t-shirts. He has nothing to wear to a bar. What do people even wear to one? It’s been so long since he’s gone out, he has no idea what the dress code is.

He groans in frustration and grabs his favorite grey one. Who is he trying to impress, anyway. He would have called the whole thing off and stayed at home but he supposes he does owe Erica a beer. And he really wants to ask her how the investigation is going.

When he comes out of his room, he catches Stiles looking at him from the floor in the living room, where they’re building some elaborate Lego structure with Claudia. She woke up today fever-free, finally, after two days of mostly sleeping or lying on the couch and watching TV. Stiles stayed with her most of the time, barely coming out to quickly devour whatever meal Derek prepared. Still, it seemed like the air between them has changed – Stiles no longer carried himself like he expected to be hit at any time, he looked directly at Derek most of the times and sometimes Derek caught him direct one of his rare smiles, that he usually saved only for Claudia, at him. In the evenings, he even came out to watch a movie with Derek in companionable silence.

“Enjoy the evening.”

“Yeah. I won’t be long.”

“It’s okay, we’ll be fine.”

Derek did feel a little uneasy, leaving them alone in the apartment, especially considering he hasn’t gotten Stiles a phone yet and he basically had no way to contact Derek, if anything happened. One quick beer should be alright, though.

He drives to the bar in his Camaro and parks outside on the street. It’s still quite early and most of the seats are yet free. Groups of people are milling around, hanging around at the bar, but it’s not too noisy yet.

Derek spots Erica sitting at her favorite table and he slides in next to her.

“Oh, hi,” she gives him a predatory smile, her red lipstick a stark contrast to her white teeth. “I didn’t really expect you to show up.”

“I said I would,” Derek grumbles and fidgets with the drink menu, pretending to study it. “So,” he says after what he hopes is long enough not to seem too obvious. “How’s work?”

“Good.”

“How’s it going with the Stiles’ case?” he asks quickly before she can change the subject.

“What’s a stiles?” she asks, staring at him uncomprehendingly.

“Stiles, the omega…” he clarifies, fighting hard not to let his irritation show.

“Oh. I don’t know, it’s being processed, you know this is above me. I’ll keep you posted.”

“It’s just… he’s really jumpy, he has all these crazy ideas and expectations… I’m pretty sure his Alpha’s done a number on him.”

“Hm,” she says, sounding not the least bit interested, and her eyes scan the crowd in the bar.

“I mean, how does it even work with the investigation, will someone come over to talk to him?”

“What, no! We have his medical records, there’s no need for that,” she waves her hand dismissively.

“But- That’s fucked up, how can they decide without even hearing his side of the story.”

“You’re fun today,” she rolls her eyes and then levels him with a stare. “Look, there are protocols, regulations, law. It’s not like I can do anything about it. If he’s getting on your nerves, just bring him back.”

“That’s not what I meant at all. I want him to stay.”

“Fine, if I promise I’ll put your name in the system first thing on Monday morning, will you shut up and buy me that beer?”

“Fine.”

“Great, let’s go then.”

They make their way to the bar, where she orders two beers and two tequila shots. They’re soon joined by others and Derek’s discomfort increases exponentially. This, he thinks, is exactly why he never goes out. Most of the gang are a few years younger and Derek has no idea what they’re talking about most of the time.

He sips at his beer while Erica downs one shot after another, soon becoming tipsy and scooting closer and closer to Derek. At one moment, she lays her hand on Derek’s thigh, dangerously close to his crotch, and he just stares at it.

“Alright,” she slurs and takes her hand away. “I think I may have had one too many,” she giggles. “Walk me home?”

As much as he would love to just put her in a taxi and go home, he can’t, in good conscience, leave her alone in this state. She wraps herself around him as he helps her to the car. The drive is thankfully short and soon enough they are standing in front of her apartment door.

“Do you want to come in?” she asks, the blue of her eyes only slivers of colour through her eyelashes as she glances up at him.

Derek doesn’t answer; can’t, as Erica suddenly presses her lips against his. The kiss is sloppy, and she tastes like beer. She mouths at his neck, her hand running up and down his chest. Derek stays rigid and she soon she pulls away.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he says softly and takes a step back. She reaches out for him again but he gently pushes her away. Her flirty smile disappears and her face turns cold.

 “Fine, whatever. Go back to your fucking _omega_ ,” she spits out and bangs the door shut in his face.

Derek hesitates a moment, frowning at the door, but then he just turns around and leaves. An uneasy feeling still sits heavily in his stomach. He hopes Erica will sleep it off and maybe be even grateful that Derek hadn’t taken advantage of her. Best case scenario, they won’t speak of it ever again.

As he walks up the stairs to his apartment, an abrupt realization makes him stop mid-stride. He just left Stiles alone in an apartment for the whole evening, presenting him with the perfect opportunity to make a run for it. He could have emptied the fridge, taken their new warm clothes, Derek’s laptop and tablet, and just leave through the unlocked door. Hell, he could have even found the cash Derek keeps in one of the boxes in the pantry.

With his heart in his throat, he takes the rest of the stairs by two, panting by the time he finally reaches the top floor. His hands shake a little as he opens the door and enters the dark apartment. At the sight of the two pair of shoes, one small and one big, still neatly lined by the wall he lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He takes in the jackets hanging on the wall, the Legos put away in a corner, together with the coloring books, and he slumps against the wall in relief, his heart still hammering.

“Are you okay?”

He startles at the sound of Stiles voice. He’s slipped from their room, closing the door quietly behind him. He’s already in his pyjamas, holding a book in his hand.

Derek just nods, not trusting his voice. He turns on the lights and sits down at the table, shredding his jacket in the process.

“What are you reading?” he nods towards the book as Stiles is still hovering by the door.

“Um, I found it under the coffee table, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, I got it last Christmas, haven’t opened it since. Is it any good?”

“No, not really,” Stiles grimaces and joins him at the table. “I’m not that much into reading, anyway.”

“Hm, maybe I should get you a Playstation.”

Stiles laughs wholeheartedly, as if Derek just told a good joke. While the sound warms Derek’s heart, making his inner Alpha proud of himself for eliciting it from Stiles, he is still a little confused because was being serious.

“Did you have fun?” Stiles asks, changing the subject.

“No,” Derek answers honestly. He doesn’t say that the whole time his thoughts were turning to home, to Stiles and Claudia, worrying about what they were doing and wishing he could be back.

“That sucks. I’m gonna turn in,” Stiles yawns and it occurs to Derek that he was probably staying up late, waiting for him to return.

“Goodnight, Stiles.”

After he disappears back in his room, Derek sits alone in the quiet kitchen, letting his mind wander. He knows he should go to sleep but instead he retrieves his tablet. With a few taps on the screen he has a PS4 and a couple of games in his shopping basket. He hesitates, his finger hovering over the _order_ button. Is it too much? Will it just freak Stiles out? Probably, but he deserves nice things and Derek’s going to prove it to him. It’s late and he’s tired so he just presses the button and throws the tablet back in the drawer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a short little update for you, enjoy. The next chapter may take a little longer to get together, we'll see.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The POV changes in the middle of the chapter

When Stiles wakes up the next morning, the bed feels too cold and big. Still half-asleep, he feels around for Claudia and his hearts does a somersault when he comes up empty. He sits up in panic, sleep long forgotten, and looks around, confused. _Derek’s home_ , his brain finally supplies, and he calms down marginally. She’s probably fine.

Still, he hurries out of the bed and quietly slips from the room. He sees them immediately; Derek is sitting on the floor, his back resting against the couch, and he has a coloring book on his knees. Claudia is sitting on the couch behind him, still keeping a distance, yet twisting her neck to look at the picture Derek’s coloring.

“The sun, what color are you thinking?” he asks, keeping his eyes on his work, his hand working steadily in long strokes of the pencil.

“Um…. Pink,” she pipes up finally after a long deliberation.

“Nice, I like it, abstract art,” Derek says and reaches for the pink pencil.

Stiles quietly creeps closer but the two of them don’t notice him, too engrossed in what they are doing. “Nice job on staying inside the lines,” Stiles jokes and Derek looks up at him with a start. His eyes crinkle in amusement and Stiles definitely does _not_ get butterflies in his stomach, not one bit.

Claudia jumps from the couch and runs towards him. He picks her up and she wraps herself tight around his neck. “What time is it?”

“9:30” Derek answers easily.

“What? Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You looked like you could use some sleep. And we were doing fine, weren’t we?”

Claudia pulls away to look at Stiles and starts to chatter. “We made breakfast. I broke two eggs and then I stirred and mixed and I watched the milk so it didn’t boil over, and then we put it in the fridge for you,” she finishes, practically beaming.

“Oh wow, that’s awesome,” Stiles says and kisses her forehead. He hates that his eyes prickle and he puts her down so that she doesn’t notice. Seeing Claudia like this, her eyes shining with excitement without any trace of fear, it makes him want to freeze the time and never have to worry about the future again.

Yesterday, after Derek left, he waited for half an hour to make sure he wouldn’t return for a forgotten wallet, and then went scooping around the apartment. If Derek had a dark secret somewhere, it was better to be prepared. He found nothing of interest in the living room, though, and he couldn’t make himself go to Derek’s room. Weirdly enough, he wasn’t afraid of the punishment if Derek found out but of his disappointment.

Finally, with a beating heart, he went to the main door. He almost wished it was locked but when he turned the doorknob it opened without resistance. He stared into the dark cold corridor until he started to shiver and then closed the door with a heavy heart. Fending for themselves was hard, not knowing where their next meal was coming from or where they’ll lay their heads. Here it was warm and the fridge was full. Stiles was a coward and he’ll probably regret it later.

Once he made the decision, though, it was easier to enjoy the evening, fooling around with Claudia. He found a stapler in one of the drawers and chased her with it, pretending it was a terrible monster. Claudia’s loud shrieks of laughter reverberated throughout the apartment and Stiles only hoped Derek had no close neighbours. Dr. Deaton wouldn’t probably approve of her running around like crazy considering she still had a fever the day before but it was so rare to see her like this, Stiles didn’t have the heart to stop her.

Stiles heats up the eggs and bacon and sits at the table to eat his late breakfast. Soon, Derek joins him and when Stiles looks up, he sees the previous smile is replaced by an uncomfortable and apologetic expression. Immediately, Stiles feels his good mood dissipate and dread settle in his guts.

“Um, there’s something I wanted to ask you,” Derek begins and Stiles puts the fork down. “My family invited me – us, I mean – to lunch tomorrow. You don’t have to if don’t feel up to it, of course, but...”

“Oh,” Stiles says, surprised. He isn’t sure what he expected but that wasn’t it. He wonders if Derek’s family are some crazy traditionalist who want to see their Alpha son’s meek and docile omega. Or if they’ve been bugging him for a while and he finally wants them to shut up. Stiles can definitely play the role, though, he has had plenty of practice. “Yeah, sure. I don’t mind.”

“Really? That’s great. We won’t stay long, it can be a bit much sometimes. I have a big family and my cousins and their kids usually come, too, so it’s hectic as hell.”

“Okay,” Stiles says, taking in all the information. He really doesn’t want to fuck it up for Derek and embarrass him. He’ll have to have a talk with Claudia, go over the rules again. You can never repeat something too much to a three-year-old. He’s pretty sure she’ll behave, though. “Okay,” he says again, more resolutely this time and Derek rewards him with another of his small smiles.

*

On Sunday, they leave after a light breakfast. Stiles has been uncharacteristically quiet and closed off the whole morning and Derek starts to worry if this was a good idea. Even Claudia, who only yesterday was a chatterbox, now hovers by Stiles’ side and won’t meet Derek’s eyes. He wants to kick himself. They’ve been making progress and now it feels like day one again.

When they get in the car he turns to Stiles and offers one last time: “We don’t have go. I can say that I got sick or something.”

“No, it’s fine, really. We’ll be good,” Stiles assures. Derek’s not sure what Stiles means by _good_ but he hates the nervous look on his face.

He rubs his face in frustration but then he just starts the car without another word. The drive to his parents’ house passes in tense silence as Derek uselessly racks his brain for anything to say.

When they arrive, the door flies open before they can even reach the deck and soon people are spilling out of the house into the November cold air.

“Derek! I’m so glad you came,” his mom squeezes him tightly in her arms. She then turns her attention to Stiles and Claudia, who are standing awkwardly a few steps behind, eyes glued to the floor. Before he can stop her, she has Stiles wrapped in her arms as well. The wide-eyed terrified look on Stiles’ face is almost funny if Derek didn’t feel bad for him.

“Mom, please,” he sighs but she doesn’t pay him any mind. “This is Stiles and his daughter Claudia.”

“Nice to meet you, Ma’am,” Stiles says stiffly, bowing his head a little.

“Oh, please,” she waves her hand. “Call me Talia.” She then crouches down in front of Claudia and smiles at her. “Hello, sweetheart. Oh, look at you, what a gorgeous dress you have!”

A shy smile spreads on Claudia’s face and she tugs at her skirt. “Alpha Derek bought it for me,” she says quietly.

Derek sees his mom throw him a death glare over her shoulder, no doubt hating the honorific, but Derek just shrugs helplessly. It’s not like he hasn’t told her not to call him Alpha.

“That’s nice. Come on, let’s go inside, it’s cold out here.”

They shrug off their jackets and shoes and huddle inside the spacious living room, where Derek introduces Stiles to rest of the family.

“You have a nice house,” Stiles says politely once everyone’s settled down a little.

“Thanks,” Derek’s dad says. “It’s not completely finished yet. I need to finish the backyard and the fence, but that’ll have to wait until spring. Still, it’s not bad, considering it’s been only a year since the fire.”

“Oh, that burned-down house, that was…?” Stiles asks and then shuts his mouth quickly and looks back on the floor, his whole body tensing.

“Yeah, the old house, that’s an accident waiting to happen, if you ask me. What were you doing there, anyway?”

“Um, I was on the run,” Stiles murmurs miserably, not lifting his eyes from the floor.

There’s a moment of tense silence and Derek glares daggers in his family’s general direction, daring them to say a word about it to Stiles.

They are saved by a stampede of children bursting into the room. Derek is shocked by how much bigger all of his nieces and nephews have gotten. He really should see his family more often.

“Stiles, meet the kids, the little one is Andrew, and that’s Monica,…” The kids are running around the room, it’s impossible to even count them, not to mention get them to stay still for a moment. “Oh, forget it,” he gives up and the girls giggle cheerfully. Derek sees Claudia watching them with unbridled curiosity, peeking from behind Stiles’ legs.

“Hello,” Malia smiles at Claudia. She’s the oldest of the bunch and always had a soft spot for the little ones, taking them under her wings, protecting them when the boys played too rough. “Do you want to see the doll house grandpa built me?”

Claudia nods and takes her hand. Derek notices Stiles gaping at her as they go upstairs together. Clearly he was not expecting her to leave his side this easily.

“Come on, Stiles, have a snack before the lunch is ready,” Talia leads Stiles out of the  room. Derek wants to follow but is intercepted by Laura.

“How’s it going?”

“Good,” Derek answers uncertainly.

“Are you sure?”

“Haven’t called you yet, have I?”

“Fair enough,” Laura chuckles. Her face turns serious the next moment. “So what’s the story here?” she asks quietly. They both look through the door into the kitchen where Stiles is nibbling on a cookie, having his ear talked off by Cora. Derek itches to go rescue him from his teenage sister but then just hopes Stiles’ll survive.

“He ran away from his Alpha who I’m pretty sure is an abusive asshole.”

“That’s awful. So you’re gonna keep him, right?”

“Yeah,” Derek just says. He hates the word _keep_. As if you could keep another human being. Still, there’s not a shred of doubt in his head that he’s not sending Stiles back into the system, if he can help it.

“Come on, help me set the table,” Laura clasps him on the back and Derek follows, glad this conversation is over. Together the extend the already huge dining table and then set the plates and glasses. Derek works in silence, satisfied to listen to his uncle bicker with Laura about the artistic value of some movie he’s never heard of. It’s nice. The room is full of chatter and laughter and nobody seems too bothered that Derek doesn’t join the conversation. For the first time in a long time, he feels himself relax despite being in a room full of people.

Derek keeps an eye on Stiles the entire time but he seems to be doing alright. He’s currently absorbed in a debate about kids with Peter’s wife, an omega herself. Still, when it’s time for lunch, he makes sure to steer Stiles in a chair next to him and asks him quietly: “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Stiles nods, a little wide-eyed.

Claudia comes down the stairs, clutching a small doll in her hand. She puts it on the table next to her plate, practically vibrating with excitement.

“As always, I would like to thank you for coming to our monthly Sunday lunch,” Talia speaks up once everyone is seated. “We’re excited to welcome Stiles and Claudia to our not so small family.” There are a few chuckles and murmurs of agreement and Derek sees Stiles blush under all the attention. “Everyone, help yourselves.”

It’s a chaos, with everyone passing food around the table. The clinking of cutlery and murmur of conversation is suddenly interrupted by a loud thud followed by the sound glass shattering. Claudia is standing frozen, looking at the mess, her arm still outstretched.

After a short stunned silence, Stiles dives to the floor. “I’m so sorry, I’ll clean this up, I’m sorry.”

“Stiles, stop, you’re gonna-” Before Derek even manages to finish the sentence, Stiles hisses in pain. Bright red drops of blood land on the carpet and Stiles jumps up with renewed panic, clutching desperately at the injured hand. “Shit, shit, I’m sorry,” Stiles keeps repeating, sounding on the verge of crying.

“It’s okay, come here, I’ll patch you up.” Suddenly, Talia is by Stiles’ side and gently leads him towards the bathroom. “Laura, clean up the blood, please.

With Stiles out of the room, everyone resumes eating. Laura appears shortly with a dustpan and a bucket of soapy water while Derek sits frozen feeling completely useless. Then he looks at Claudia and his heart breaks a little. She’s sitting unnaturally still, looking at the ground. Her eyes are brimming with tears but it’s clear she’s fighting with all her might not to let them fall.

“C’mere,” he offers and she goes without hesitation. She hides her face in Derek’s shoulder and he pets her hair. It’s such a weird feeling, having her in his arms. She feels so small and fragile, and yet warm and very much alive. “It’s okay, you’re not in trouble. Neither is Stiles. This happens all the time, look how many kids are here.”

She just nods but doesn’t look up. Derek doesn’t pressure her and they stay silent. Around them, others are talking as if nothing happened, for which Derek is grateful. After some time, she relaxes a fraction and peeks up at the table.

“Do you want to try the mashed tomatoes? They’re my favorite.” Hesitantly, she returns to her seat and starts stabbing the food with the fork she holds in her fist. Derek leaves her to it and keeps an eye on the door nervously. They’ve been gone for a while now and Derek starts to worry Stiles cut himself badly. Then again, knowing his mother, Stiles is probably just getting a pep talk.

When they finally return, Stiles sports a bright pink bandage on his finger and looks significantly calmer. He gives everyone a sheepish smile and sits back at the table. The rest of the lunch passes without an accident and by the time they’re eating dessert, Claudia is smiling again.

They don’t stay long afterwards. Derek should probably stay and help with the dishes but Claudia is sitting on the couch with glassy eyes, looking ready to pass out any moment. They say their goodbyes and Derek promises to see them soon again. This time he even means it.

Claudia falls asleep on Stiles on their way back, curled on his lap. Stiles carries her to their room and tugs in her in the bed. She only mutters something and sleeps on, still keeping a tight hold of the little doll. They both sprawl on the couch afterwards with a sigh of relief.

“I should have worn sweatpants,” Stiles huffs, patting his full belly. “I don’t want to see food for at least two hours.” Derek chortles and Stiles continues: “Seriously, though. Thank you. Your family is really nice.”

“Yeah, they are.” He feels guilty now for avoiding them for so long. Luckily, nobody seemed to hold it against him. “I’m glad you had a good time.”

“I mean, it was super hectic, I’m not used to that. At home it was always just me and my dad…” he trails off and his face turns sour.

“I’m sorry,” Derek says softly. “You didn’t get along?” he ventures.

“No, we did. At least I thought we did. I don’t know why… I guess he wanted to pay off the mortgage,” he laughs mirthlessly, his tone bitter.

 They lapse into silence. Stiles stares ahead, clearly lost in though and Derek lets him. Finally, Stiles sighs and shakes his head, as if to bring himself back. “I think I’ll take a nap, too, if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead.”

Stiles gently squeezes Derek’s forearm before he leaves. His hand withdraws quickly but the warmth of the touch lingers long after he disappears in his room.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day he wakes up feeling warm and fuzzy. Claudia is still sleeping next to him and he arches his back in a satisfying deep stretch. The memories of yesterday come flooding back and he can’t help but grin. It was unreal. He still can’t believe how nice Derek’s family was to them. Talia, an Alpha who radiated power at first sight, applying a plaster to Stiles’ cut finger is not something he will forget any time soon. When he saw the blood stain the luxurious creamy carpet, he was pretty sure they were in for it, but Talia really went out of her way to soothe his fears, talking about how in their family, omegas are not treated like second-class citizens.

Claudia stirs next to him and sits up with a scowl on her face.

“Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?” he asks but her scowl only deepens. “Guess not,” Stiles smiles and lets her be. She remains grumpy for the rest of the morning, not talking to anyone, refusing to brush her teeth or brush her hair. Stiles only hopes she’s not coming down with something. Wouldn’t be all that surprising with all the kids yesterday.

“Good morning,” Derek greets them when they finally sit at the kitchen table. Claudia keeps frowning at the table and Derek shoots Stiles an inquiring look. Stiles only shrugs his shoulders. Derek busies himself in the kitchen, preparing what Stiles guesses is a French toast.

“I want to wear the dress,” Claudia speaks up finally.

“Sorry, it’s in the washing machine,” Derek answers apologetically over his shoulder.

“But I want to wear it _now_ ,” her bottom lip is starting to wobble and tears well in her eyes.

“You can wear once it’s dry-” Stiles says patiently.

“No!” Claudia takes a deep breath and starts to wail from the top of her lungs. Stiles stares at her in complete shock, at loss for what to do.

“Claudia,” he tries but she just slides down from the chair on the floor and continues screaming. Her face is all red and tears are rolling down her cheeks freely.

“All right,” Stiles grabs her and carries her to their room. She is bucking in his arms, kicking and trying to get free. He deposits her on the floor and takes a few steps back. His heart is pounding in his chest.

“Claudia, baby, it’s okay,” he tries to reach for her but she just swats at his hand. In the end he sits on the floor as well, keeping his distance. His heart aches for her and he just wants to cuddle her, soothe her, but it’s clear she doesn’t want to be touched right now.

It takes a long time for her crying to turn into exhausted sobbing. “Claudia,” Stiles tries again. She only starts to wail with renewed vigour and Stiles curses himself. He’s feeling completely useless, just watching Claudia cry her eyes out, not being able to do anything.

After what feels like half an hour, she finally sits up and looks around, confused. She tentatively reaches out to Stiles and he cradles her in his arms with a sigh of relief.

“It’s okay,” he says over and over, petting her sweaty hair. She’s breathing raggedly and her whole body shudders with lingering sobs. Eventually, she grows heavy in his arms and her breathing evens out. Gently, he tugs her in bed and closes the door behind him softly.

Derek is sitting at the table, a worried frown on his face. _Shit_. Stiles completely forgot about him. He only hopes he’s not too annoyed.

“I’m really sorry,” Stiles says as he joins him at the table. There are three servings of breakfast waiting, now probably cold, and Stiles’ guilt multiplies. “This has never happened before. I really don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

“It’s okay. Kids throw tantrums all the time,” Derek smiles encouragingly.

“Yeah but, it’s really not like her, she’s always been so…” Collected. In control of her emotions. A heavy weight settles in Stiles’ stomach when he realizes why exactly was that.

“Look, I’m not saying I’m an expert, but I’ve seen a fair share of kids crying on the floor. It’s normal. They don’t know how to deal with anger and frustration. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing, maybe it means she’s starting to feel safe.”

They lapse into silence, Stiles nibbling at the toast without really tasting it. Derek’s right of course. Fear was the only reason she was always so mature, never having fits or crying. At that moment, Stiles feels like the worst parent ever, even though rationally, he knows it’s not his fault.

“She has a lot to deal with,” Stiles says quietly. As much as he tried to shelter her, protect her from everything that was going on in Alpha’s house, she was far too clever for her own good. He could never hide the bruises from her.

“Here, look,” Derek taps on his tablet and then slides it on the table towards Stiles. Stiles looks at the screen, it’s a google search for _how to deal with toddler’s temper tantrums_. “But, um, if you want to maybe see a child therapist, I could arrange that.”

“Thank you,” Stiles says honestly. His head is spinning and it feels like the world is shifting. Derek talking about a therapist, it sounds like such a long-term thing. Hope blossoms in his chest, it feels like he’s going to burst at any moment. “But- ” Stiles starts but then can’t make himself continue. Derek waits him out patiently and finally Stiles manages to croak out: “Does that mean we’re staying?”

Derek averts his eyes and Stiles feels him stomach drop. Of course not. _Stupid_. Why would anything good ever happen to him.

“Well, hopefully. We need to wait for the center to finish their stupid investigation and then we’ll see.”

“Okay,” Stiles says, forcing himself not to think about it too much. There’s nothing he can do about it, anyway. The idea of having to go back sends a wave of icy terror through his bones and he grabs the table to keep himself grounded. 

“Stiles,” Derek says imploringly and Stiles meets his eyes. “But I’m not letting you go back there. Not without a fight. We’ll figure something out, don’t worry.”

Something eases inside Stiles and the terror dissipates. Before he can talk himself out of it, he reaches out and takes Derek’s hand in his. They sit in silence, enjoying the moment. Stiles runs his thumb across Derek’s knuckles, enjoying the warmth of the touch. Suddenly the bedroom door opens and they jump apart like two teenagers caught in the act.

Claudia hovers uncertainly at the door. Then she pads across the room and sits on Stiles’ lap.

“I’m sorry Alpha Derek,” she mutters, not lifting her eyes from her hands. Stiles sees Derek wince at being called alpha but he doesn’t lose his smile.

“It’s okay, I’m not mad. Do you want me to reheat the breakfast?”

The rest of the day passes pleasantly. Claudia’s mood soon improves and in the afternoon they decide to take a walk. It’s a sunny day, and the cold wind turns their cheeks red. Back home Derek makes Claudia her beloved cocoa and mulled wine for Stiles and himself. They end up curled up on the couch watching the Trolls for what feels like the hundredth time. Stiles is still enjoying it though.

The next day, just as Stiles is putting away the dishes from breakfast, the doorbell rings and Derek hurries to get the door. Stiles watches from the kitchen as Derek exchanges a few words and then closes the door, carrying a large box. He puts it on the floor and immediately Claudia is there, watching it curiously.

“What is it?” she asks.

“It’s for Stiles,” Derek smiles mysteriously and Stiles is suddenly intrigued. “Come on, open it up.”

“Seriously?” he says unsurely and gets a pair of scissors from the drawer. His mind is running at full speed, trying to guess what might be inside. He cuts the tape and pries the box open. He looks inside, uncomprehending, and just blinks dumbly.

“What?” With shaking hands he pulls out the Playstation 4 console, Red Dead Redemption 2 edition. On the bottom of the box he sees the Spiderman game.

“I didn’t know what kind of games you liked but I read some reviews and these were the best rated and most recommended. We can get other games if this is not your style,” Derek is babbling nervously but Stiles barely hears him over the beating of his heart.

“Oh my God, Derek, this is crazy. I’m... I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Seriously, though, I can’t believe you really bought it.” He rubs his face with his hand, trying to hide the tears that are prickling his eyes.

“What is it, daddy?” Claudia asks, looking at the box suspiciously.

“It’s for playing games.”

“Hm,” she doesn’t sound too convinced.

“Grown up games,” he sticks his tongue out at her and she giggles.

“We could probably get some games for kids, too,” Derek offers.

“Oh no, I’m not sharing this with anyone,” Stiles laughs and hugs the box close.

“We’ll hook it up later. Come on, let’s go out.” Ever since being finally able to go out, having proper clothes and Claudia being healthy, Stiles can’t get enough. It’s only a pity that it was so cold. If it was summer, he would probably stay outside the whole day, just watching the vast sky above him, listening to the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects. He’s had enough of confined spaces for the rest of his life.

They go to the little secluded park Derek’s showed them. It’s empty, what with this weather, but Claudia still enjoys the swing and Stiles savors the cold fresh air. On the way home, Claudia picks up brown leaves to take home, showing no interest in the pretty yellow and red ones. She then starts adding sticks to her collection and by the time they finally get to the apartment, both Stiles and Derek have their hands full.

After dinner, while Stiles is setting up the Playstation, Derek helps Claudia pimp up the box, drawing a steering wheel in the front and four wheels on the sides. She then deposits her loot from their walk into her ‘car’ and happily spends the rest of the evening driving somewhere. She grumbles when Stiles announces it’s time for bed but after promising the box is not going anywhere and she can play with it in the morning, she gives in.

She falls asleep immediately, not even staying up for her favorite bedtime story and Stiles smiles. Yeah, fresh air can do wonders. He quietly slips out of the room and joins Derek on the couch. For a while they just sit wordlessly, enjoying the quiet.

“So, I was thinking,” Derek starts finally and Stiles sits up straight. He only feels of a pang of apprehension and not the sense of impending doom at the words, which says a lot about how far he’s come in trusting Derek.

“Yeah?”

“We should write down your testimony, about, you know, how your Alpha treated you. I’ll get a lawyer and we’ll file a suit against the center and your former Alpha.”

“Hm,” Stiles says contemplatively. Hiring a lawyer sounds expensive but then again, Derek just bought him a Playstation just because, and he’s seen the huge house the Hales build. Money doesn’t seem to be a problem in this family. But his Alpha was loaded, too. Could he get an even better lawyer? Would he consider Stiles’ scrawny ass worth the money? “We should probably make it a video. You know, more authentic and relatable?”

“Perfect. We’ll do that.” Derek sags against the couch, clearly glad Stiles didn’t argue with him. “Do you mind if I watch you play?”

“Not at all,” Stiles moves closer, pressing his side against Derek’s. He starts the game with a grin on his face. For the first time since being dragged away from his home, he feels like things may turn out alright after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, but updates will be a little slow now. I'll probably want to write at least two chapters before posting because I wouldn't want to leave you hanging with what's about to come and also soon we're leaving for Christmas in Dubai, yay!
> 
> Anyway, please be patient with me and know that I'm working on this fic every free moment that I got. Thank you everyone, I love all your support and comment!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things go downhill from here, brace yourselves. There will be a happy ending eventually, I promise.

A shrill shriek pierces through Derek’s pleasant dreams and he sits up, heart beating with fear. In his hurry to get out of the bed he tangles himself in the blanket and almost falls flat on his face. Cursing, he struggles to free himself, when he hears it again.

“Snow! It’s snowing, look!” Claudia is screaming and Derek hears Stiles grumble something in response. Derek sags against the bed. _God damn it_. He chases the dream he’s just woken up from before it slips from his fingers for good. The details are all blurry, only the pleasant heat pooling in his groin remains and the unshakeable knowledge that it featured Stiles.

Derek groans into his hands. He’s the worst Alpha ever, dreaming about Stiles, his milk-white skin, lithe body, his mouth and how beautiful it would look stretched around Derek’s cock… Derek quickly jumps out of the bed. He needs a shower. A cold one, preferably.

It’s doesn’t matter, though. He’ll never act on his desires, that much he is sure of. Stiles is in a way too vulnerable position and Derek’s not going to take advantage of that. It’s harder to get his brain to cooperate though, what with how Stiles’ has been smelling lately. He’s filled up, getting three square meals a day, and looks so much healthier already. With that, the scent of misery, fear and pain has been replaced by the delicious smell of omega approaching his heat.

Derek’s been bracing himself to breach the topic of heat with Stiles, secretly hoping Stiles would be the one to bring it up. Stiles, however, looks like he’s happy to just ignore the elephant in the room. That is something they absolutely need to talk about, though. And soon.

When Derek finally makes himself presentable and goes to the kitchen to get some breakfast, Claudia is already sitting by the door, pouting, her winter clothes in a heap next to her.

“I’m sorry, she’s really excited to go build a snowman,” Stiles rolls his eyes fondly.

“Alright, I’ll just grab something quick and we can go.”

He ends up pouring himself a bowl of cereals, accompanied by his obligatory cup of coffee. Once he manages to dig up an old pair of gloves from the bottom of his closet, he dresses up quickly and they’re off.

In the park, Claudia takes a blob of snow in her hand, holding it out distrustfully.

“It’s cold,” she whines.

“That’s why you have gloves,” Stiles quips, already building the snowman’s body.

“But I don’t want to get them wet,” she complains and pats all the snow from her gloves. “You should build it, daddy. Derek will help you.”

Derek can’t help but beam at her. She looks a little confused by his triumphant smile but hearing her call him just _Derek_ , no Alpha, does feel like a little victory.

The snowman turns out sloppy and more brown and muddy than white but Claudia loves it nonetheless. Derek’s toes are numb from the cold and he’s pretty sure his socks are wet when they finally head home.

He sees them waiting in front of the main building door as soon as when they turn the corner. Two officers in uniforms, full with a gun behind their utility belts. They are accompanied by a man in a light jacket and suit pants, currently stepping from foot to foot, blowing on his hands to warm them. The officers’ eyes are scanning the street and before Derek can even contemplate turning around, they are spotted.

“Derek, what- ” Stiles asks confused when Derek stops mid-stride. Then he notices them, too, and Derek sees his face turn ashen. He grabs the collar of Claudia’s jacket and takes a few steps back.

“Finally,” Derek hears the man grumble as they catch up to them. “Mr. Hale, my name’s Mark Davis, from the Omega Protective Services, we’re here to collect your omega.” It’s clear he’s trying to keep his voice professionally pleasant, yet still his teeth chatter and his annoyance from having to wait in the cold is hard to miss.

Derek takes a step in front of Stiles and glares at the man, while on the inside, fear is clawing at his heart, making him nauseous. _This cannot be happening._

Davis’ mask drops and his face turns hard. He whips out a piece of paper and waves it in front of Derek’s face. “I have a warrant. Do I really need to remind you that you have absolutely no claim on this omega and have only agreed to provide temporary housing? Withholding of private property is punishable with up to a year in prison.”

Derek grits his teeth so hard he feels like they might crack. He wants to punch the stupid face smugly smirking at him. He wants to throw Stiles and Claudia over his shoulder and just run, consequences be damned. He takes a deep breath and unballs his fists. What good will he be to Stiles if he’s in prison?

“Stiles,” he turns around, even as he sees the officers take a step closer from the corner of his eyes. “I’ll make this right, I promise. I need you to hold on and just wait for me, okay? I’ll get you out of there.”

“Thank you for everything,” Stiles says softly, not even meeting Derek’s eyes. He gathers Claudia in his arms and shrugs off the officer’s arm on his shoulder. Without another word, he goes willingly towards the waiting van.

“I’ll drive right behind,” Derek shouts after them before the van’s back door is shut and then quickly runs to his car. With shaking hands, he struggles to get the key into the ignition. He needs to get a grip on himself. His hands are white-knuckled on the wheel as he speeds through the town towards the omega center. He needs to call his parents. And a lawyer. Fuck, they didn’t even manage to get that testimony.

With screeching tires he parks in the first free spot and runs to the reception, snapping at the receptionist that he needs to see Erica Reyes. The receptionist huffs in indignation but picks up the phone anyway.

It takes barely a minute for her to walk through the locked door, her mouth set in a hard line.

“Where is he?” he barks at her without a greeting.

“He’s being taken back to his Alpha.”

“That’s not possible,” he hisses.

“The results from the investigation-”

“That’s bullshit!” he roars, ignoring the looks from other people in the room. They stare at each other for a long full minute, Erica’s eyes determined and fierce. Finally, Derek deflates a little.

“Who is he? His Alpha,” he asks more softly.

“You know I’m not allowed to tell you that.”

“Erica,” Derek all but growls at her. If he weren’t afraid of being thrown out of the building, he would have probably pinned her against the nearest wall right now.

“I can’t, Derek. I can’t. I could lose my job, I could go to _jail_ ,” she says, her eyes pleading him to understand.

He studies her face for a while but he already knows it’s futile. She’s not going to help him. She doesn’t care and he’s just wasting precious time with her. Time that he needs to spend planning how to get Stiles back from this clusterfuck of a situation. He turns around without a single words and heads for the door.

“You can have the pup, if you want,” Erica calls after him and Derek stops dead in his tracks. Slowly, the words register and terror twists his insides in a knot.

“What? What do you mean?” he asks numbly.

“The child, she’s up for adoption, the Alpha only wanted the omega returned,” she shrugs, looking uncomfortable. “Normally, she’d be sent to a children’s home but I could put in a word for you. Seeing how she’s used to you, and all.”

Derek pinches the bridge of his nose. “Yes, of course I fucking want her. Please,” he grits through his clenched teeth. All he can think about is Stiles losing his mind without his daughter. He needs to get him back _fast._

Erica hesitates for a moment. “I’m sorry,” she says finally and disappears back to where she came from. Derek looks after her, her high heels clicking against the tiles, and feels some of his anger dissipate. She’s not the enemy here. She’s just afraid.

Derek can’t really blame her, too. What does she think he’d do if she told him the address? Break in in the middle of the night, steal Stiles, flee to Mexico, and spend the rest of their lives on some far away farm with fake identities? It does sound tempting but Derek realistically knows they wouldn’t make it far.

No, he needs to persuade the man to sell him Stiles back. He would find the right price, even if it meant being indebted for the rest of his life. Even if he had to sell every single thing he owns and move back to his parents and work 60 hours a week, he would do it in a heartbeat.

His fervent musings are interrupted by a door opening. Erica is back with Claudia at her side, looking terrified. When she sees Derek, she slips out of Erica’s hold and throws herself in his arms. She wraps her arms around Derek’s neck so hard he feels like she might choke him.

“Where’s daddy?” She asks finally, looking around with big eyes.

“Um,” he says stupidly, his brain short-circuiting. What the hell does he tell her? But then he sees the way her eyes fill with tears and he knows she gets it.

“It’s gonna be alright, I promise. Let’s go home.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out I'm not that great at writing ahead. At least the next chapter is mostly ready and will be posted on Monday. Enjoy.


	11. Chapter 11

Claudia is silent for the whole trip. She doesn’t cry and it freaks Derek out more than if she was screaming and kicking. Her face is glued at the window the whole time, watching the world past by as they drive towards the empty apartment.

Once inside, he sits her on the couch and starts to pace nervously. The oppressive silence seems deafening and Derek can’t string together a coherent thought. When he looks at Claudia, sitting hunched on the big sofa, clearly trying to take up as little space as possible, he’s feeling completely out of his depth and for the first time since that rainy night, he considers calling in Laura for help.

First things first, though. He sits on the coffee table in front of her and takes a deep breath.

“Claudia, do you maybe know the name of your previous Alpha?” he asks, trying to keep his voice soft and even. She crunches her face in concentration but then just shakes her head dejectedly.

“Or when he lives?”

Another shake, followed by a short hesitation. “It was a big house.”

“That’s awesome, anything else you can remember?”

He waits a long time but she just keeps staring at her hands, her distress clearly increasing.

“That’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Then he gets another idea. “Did Stiles ever tell you about your grandpa? His dad?” Of course, Stiles’ old man would know where he is. He sold him to that Alpha, after all. His hope is soon crushed by the blank expression on Claudia’s face and yet another miniscule shake of her head.

“Alright. You know what, I’m gonna put on a movie and make some popcorn. Wanna watch the Minions again?” She doesn’t answer but he starts the movie anyway. Can’t really go wrong there, he hopes. He watches the popcorn turn in the microwave, counting the time between the popping, keeping his mind painstakingly on the task at hand. He doesn’t not want to think about what Stiles is doing right now. He might smash something in helpless fury if he lets his mind wander, and he doesn’t want to traumatize Claudia more than she already is.

Once the popcorn’s ready, he bundles Claudia in a blanket like he’s seen Stiles do, and places a small kiss on her hair. She doesn’t flinch or tense and Derek counts that as a win. “I’m going to make a phone call real quick,” he tells her.

He slips out of the apartment into the cold hallway and leans against the door, his phone clutched in his hand. The dialing tone rings only once before she pick up.

“Mom? I need help.”

*

Talia with Laura in tow arrive just as the Minions are trying to steal the crown. Claudia is watching lifelessly. Where normally she would laugh and giggle, her mouth remains turned upside down and she radiates tension all across the room.

“Hello, sweetie,” Talia waves at her after hugging Derek. She leads him to the kitchen while Laura joins Claudia on the couch.

“Okay, I’m not going to lie, it’s not looking too great. The meeting with the lawyer is tomorrow but he basically said, without any further proof, the best we can hope for is a new investigation into Stiles’ living conditions, and it’s quite probable the Alpha will make sure everything looks good. Honestly, it seems fishy that he passed in the first place. Also, you know the laws on the protection of omegas are… well, shit.”

“What do I do?” he asks, feeling suddenly very small. Like a little kid, he wants his mother to hold him and promise she’ll take care of it, that everything’s going to be alright. Hot shame curls inside him when he thinks of all the times he _hated_ her, yelled at her, telling her she wants to destroy his life and he will date whoever he wants. And here she was, still having his back. Even after his disastrous relationship with Kate ended up in literal flames, she never gave up on him.

“We’ll keep looking,” she says encouragingly and then turns to Claudia. “Are you ready to go? We’re taking the kids to an indoor playground. We’ll stop at a toy store on our way back, you can pick whatever you want.”

Claudia nods mechanically and goes to get dressed. Derek watches them leave with a deep ache in his chest. Once they’re out of the door, he starts his laptop, his fingers drumming impatiently against the keyboard.

He logs to facebook and types _Stiles_ in the search bar. He scrolls through the few results, his frustration growing. Who doesn’t have facebook? Even Derek has a profile and that’s saying a lot. Then again, Stiles might not even be his real name. Doesn’t sound like one, anyway.

He tries entering _Stiles_ into google next _. A stile is a structure which provides people a passage through or over a fence…_ Nope. He works through the results carefully, scanning each page with his eyes first before moving on. When he reaches page 3 of the google results, he wants to give up, when his attention is caught by something that makes his heart race.

It’s an old website of the Beacon Hills high school. It doesn’t even display properly, the text distorted all across the screen in a way that makes it hard to read, and the picture doesn’t load. It’s the description at the bottom of the box where the picture was supposed to be that Derek is interested in, though.

 _Beacon Hills High School Lacrosse Team_ , the text reads. _From left: Stiles Stilinski…_

Derek doesn’t bother reading the rest of the names, just opens a new tab and types in _Stiles Stilinski Beacon Hills_ with shaking hands. It doesn’t yield much but right the second link makes Derek perk up in his chair. Beacon Hills Sheriff’s Department.

He clicks the link and a friendly face of a smiling middle-aged man pops up on the screen. _John Stilinski, The Sheriff._ Derek looks into the blue eyes, trying to find any resemblance. What are the odds? Stilinski is not exactly a common surname. It has to be Stiles’ father. Stiles said it himself, he doesn’t have any other family.

The longer he looks at the kind face, the more it makes his blood boil with anger. A Sheriff. Isn’t he supposed to protect and serve the people? What kind of man is he to sell his own son?

Derek picks up his phone and taps in the phone number provided on the website. _Listen here, you little piece of shit_ , he wants shout at the man, _you’re gonna tell me where Stiles is right now or I’ll break every bone in your body._ He takes a few calming breaths and presses call. He can’t fuck this up. Stiles’ dad might be the only one who can tell him where Stiles is. Derek can’t imagine shouting at the man will earn him any points and make the Sheriff want to cooperate.

“John Stilinski speaking,” the man answers. His voice is politely friendly but professional.

“Hello, this Derek Hale. Um, I was wondering if we could meet, I have something I would like to ask you.”

“Okay,” the Sheriff answers hesitantly. “Regarding…?”

“It’s a little complicated, I would really rather discuss this in person,” Derek hedges.

“Alright, why don’t you drop by the station tomorrow morning. At around nine? I’ll be expecting you. Mr. Hale, is it?”

“Yes, Sir. Thank you, I will be there.”

He hangs up and sags against chair. What is he going to do when the man kicks him out once he mentions Stiles? Why would he want to help him when he obviously hated Stiles enough to send him away at sixteen years old?

His head feels like it will split in two, the tension building behind his eyes. He gets up, stretching his neck, and starts on the dinner. Mac and cheese is probably a safe choice right now. It’s not a complicated recipe and before long, the food is sitting on the stove and all dishes are put away in the dishwasher.

 _How’s it going?_ he sends a quick text to his sister. The empty apartment is wearing him down; his steps as he paces the living room seem deafening to his own ears. Unbidden, the memory of Stiles as he resignedly walked to the van forces itself into forefront of Derek’s mind. Fuck, why didn’t he fight harder? He should have screamed and cursed at Derek and Derek would have deserved it.

Out of desperation for something to do, he pulls out the cupcake pan and starts the batter. His phone vibrates in his back pocket and he pulls it out gingerly with dirty hands. _Eta 30 minutes,_ the text says. Enough time to finish, then.

The whole apartment is smelling heavenly by the time they finally arrive. Claudia is struggling to carry a large paper bag with a toy store’s logo.

“I vaguely remember you saying something about not going overboard?” he tells Laura in a hushed tone. She just grins unapologetically. “It’s not that much, really. Some books, more legos, stuff like that.” Then her face turns serious and she drops her voice. “She’s not stupid, she understands Stiles is in trouble. But she is a kid, still, and she desperately needs something to distract her. Also, routine. Kids absolutely need routine.”

“Thank you,” he says honestly.

“Any time. We’ll be in touch.” She pecks a kiss on his cheek and they both leave with a final wave.

With only two of them in the apartment, the silence once again settles heavily in the room. Claudia is pushing the food around the plate, clearly forcing every bite.

“You don’t have to finish, if you’re not hungry,” he says gently and Claudia nods gratefully and pushes the plate away. The cupcakes are not met with any enthusiasm either. She nibbles at it a little but then just proceeds to sit quietly at the table, a lost look on her face.

“Alright, let’s get you to bed, it was a long day,” Derek picks up the plates and carries them to the kitchen. A routine, he remembers and turns to Claudia. “Bath time?”

The change in her posture is immediately visible all across the room. She freezes and her face furrow in a strained expression. “On second thought, scratch that,” Derek quickly backtracks. That was not a good idea. She is so not ready to take a bath with him. “Let’s skip bath tonight. Why don’t you go brush your teeth? I’ll be with you in a moment.”

She disappears in the bathroom and Derek leans against the counters to compose himself. His eyes wander aimlessly around the apartment and land on the main door. Suddenly, he is struck with the image of Claudia sneaking out in the middle of the night in some desperate attempt to get to Stiles and he grabs his keys. With a heavy heart he locks the door and puts the keys on a high shelf out of Claudia’s reach.

He feels a little bad but then remembers Claudia is a child and she is his responsibility now. Stiles would have never forgiven him if he let anything happen to her. He only wishes Stiles knew Derek had her and that he’s not giving up on Stiles. Ever.

He tucks Claudia in bed, putting the plush wolf next to her on the pillow.

“Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story?”

She shakes her head and turns her back to Derek. He stays by the bed anyway, just watching her chest rise and fall and eventually her breathing turn deep and even.

He goes straight to bed, too. He just wants this day to end, for his brain to shut up, stop milling over all the possibilities and scenarios.

Only a few minutes after he’s laid down he hears the soft padding of Claudia’s feet outside his room. The door opens quietly and Derek stays put, waiting to see what she’ll do. She slips under the covers and curls up against Derek’s side. She puts the wolf between them and falls asleep immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be one more Derek chapter and then we'll check up on Stiles to see how he's doing:)


	12. Chapter 12

Derek barely gets any sleep that night. He keeps waking up, terrified that he overslept and missed the meeting, only to find out it has been only 10 minutes from the last time he checked his phone and it’s still the middle of the night. And when he’s finally exhausted enough that he feels he might fall asleep, Claudia is sprawled all across the bed. She looks so peaceful though, and Derek absolutely does not have the heart to wake her up. So he just wedges himself in the small space left and tries to get some sleep.

In the morning, he wakes up with aching back and stiff neck. He sits up, groaning, trying to massage some of the kinks out of his muscles. How does Stiles do this? Derek feels like he’s been run over by a truck.

Claudia stirs next to him. Derek sees the exact moment when she wakes up from her blissful sleep and reality comes crushing down on her. Her face crumples and tears fill her honey brown eyes. She buries her face into the pillow and her whole body starts to shake with silent sobs.

Derek just sits there helplessly. He tries to reach for her, but she shies away from his touch. After a while she calms down, though, and finally looks up at Derek with wet eyes.

“Let’s have some breakfast,” Derek says, opting to forego any empty promises that everything will be alright and give her some feeling of normalcy instead. She nods and slips out of the bed, wiping her face in her sleeve.

By the time she emerges from the bathroom and joins him in the kitchen, Derek has downed two espresso shots and is starting to feel a little more like himself again. He notices she has dressed herself and her shirt is inside out. Still a solid effort, though.

“Okay, what would you like? Pancakes? Muffins? Cereals?”

“I’m not hungry,” she says miserably.

“Okay,” he says softly. “I get it. But you gotta eat something. So you can grow big and strong. What about eggs?”

“I’m not hungry,” she repeats and glares at him challengingly. Derek hesitates. Is this her pushing him to see what he will do? Is she genuinely not hungry? Should he give her some space or should he put his foot down to show he cares for her? Why is this so hard and why can’t there be a manual?

In the end he decides to back down. “Fine, but the next meal you’re getting is lunch. And no sweets!”

He eats his breakfast while she plays with the peg puzzles she got yesterday. She takes all the pieces out and then puts them back in the exact same order, over and over again, her expression sorrowful the whole time.

“Alright,” Derek says once he’s taken care of the dishes. “I’m gonna call Aunt Laura…” he trails off. He didn’t plan on taking her with him but suddenly it occurs to him that she may be exactly the leverage he needs to get the Sheriff to cooperate. At this point, he’s not above using a sweet innocent child to get Stiles back. He can only hope Stilinski has at least a shred of compassion left for his son and seeing his grandchild will soften his heart.

“You know what, forget that. We’re going to see your grandpa.”

-

They arrive at the station ten minutes too early. The reception is bustling with uniformed people, and Derek is immediately set on edge. He announces himself to the lady behind the desk and goes to sit down to wait. Claudia is firmly holding his hand and when he sits down, she immediately wiggles herself onto his lap and presses herself close to his chest. Yeah, no wonder the police station freaks her out after her experience with the authorities. Derek feels a little guilty for taking her with him but in the end, helping Stiles is all that matters.

“The Sheriff will see you now,” the lady calls out after only a minute or two. Derek gathers Claudia in his arm and hurries in the direction the receptionist points to.

The Sheriff looks exactly like in his picture online, maybe a little more tired and the wrinkles around his eyes a little deeper. Still, he smiles at Derek and offers his hand.

“Mr. Hale, I’m John Stilinski.”

“Nice to meet you, Sir,” Derek mumbles, hating how his heart is hammering in his chest.

“Who’s your little friend?” Stilinski asks and smiles at Claudia, who’s watching him curiously, while still firmly holding onto Derek.

“This is Claudia.”

Stilinski flinches and all color drains from his face. He stares at Claudia as if he’s seen a ghost and then, to Derek surprise, his eyes fill with tears. “Stiles?” he whispers and turns to Derek. “Is that why you’re here? Is this about Stiles?”

“Well, yes.” Derek’s not sure what just happened but clearly there’s no need to beat around the bush.

“Where is he?”

“That’s what I’m here to ask _you_ ,” Derek snaps back.

“What? How would I know? I’ve been trying to find him for the past four years!”

Now it’s Derek’s turn to stare in confusion at the man. “What?”

“Alright. Let’s sit down and you start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know and don’t leave out any details.” The Sheriff walks around the table and sits down. He retrieves a notepad and a pen and pins Derek down with bright focused eyes. Clearly, he has switched to a professional mode.

And so Derek does. He tells him everything, starting from how he met Stiles in the middle of the woods and in his naivety called the omega services on him. In his defense, he genuinely thought they were there to help omegas down on their luck, provide shelter and food and such. He then recounts their time together and how he was snatched on the street and returned back.

Claudia is sitting on Derek’s lap the entire time, still and quiet, playing with the buttons on Derek’s shirt. Derek wonders how much she understands about what’s going on and how well she follows the conversation.

Once Derek says all there is to tell, silence settles in the room. The Sheriff is watching Claudia with a faraway expression. “I can’t believe I have a granddaughter. Oh, Stiles…,” he sighs and rubs his hands on his face. When he looks up again, there’s anger and hate in his eyes.

“Stiles was taken from our home, in the middle of the day. I came back from work and he was just… gone. And only a week after he presented. Whoever took him knew very well what they were doing. It’s an organized ring, traffickers stealing young omegas, I’m sure of it. But there was absolutely no sign of struggle, no evidence, nothing. I tried to get the FBI involved but they just concluded he ran away.”

“But, if you didn’t sell him, why didn’t you just go to the omega services? Wouldn’t they tell you what happened to him?”

Stilinski flinches as if he’s been slapped. “Of course, I didn’t sell him, I can’t believe he’d think that,” he says miserably. “And yes, I went to the center but they had absolutely no records of him. I’m convinced they faked all his papers.”

“What now?”

The Sheriff stands up, determined. “I need you to give an official statement. I’ll get the FBI on the case and we’ll do a raid of the center and that motherf-” he stops himself, looking at Claudia sheepishly. “I’m so sorry baby girl. But when this is all over, I’m going to make it up to you. Take you for ice-cream and build you a swing set in the garden…”

Claudia’s looking at him distrustfully but he just gives her another smile and picks up the phone. “Parish, I need you to take a statement.”

They are led to a different room and a young officer proceeds to take Derek’s statement. It seems to take forever and by the end, Claudia is clearly bored out of her mind, drawing patterns with her finger on the table or just walking around the room, unable to stay still. Finally, they swab the inside of Claudia’s cheek for DNA and they are free to go.

When he’s about to leave the station, the Sheriff catches up with them. “Things are in motion. You have no idea how much you’ve helped. Go home, try to relax, I’ll call you as soon as we have something.”

On his way back, he calls his mom and updates her on the situation. “You should still come to the lawyer’s meeting. You know, it’s better to lawyer up, to make sure you can keep Stiles and he’s not sent back to a public auction.” Derek promises to come to their place after lunch.

Speaking of lunch, it’s almost noon. The whole morning has gone by in a blur. “I’m hungry,” Claudia pipes up next to him and Derek grins at her. “Alright, we’ll stop for some junk food but you can’t tell Stiles.”

She grins back conspiratorially and it’s the first smile he’s seen since yesterday morning. He doesn’t even feel bad when he feeds her fries and nuggets from McDonalds and gets her a toy and a balloon, as well.

They spend the afternoon at Derek’s parents. This time, Claudia practically runs from the car, right into Talia’s arms. She places a wet kiss on Talia’s cheek and lets herself be carried inside, leaving Derek behind staring at them in bemusement.

The meeting with the lawyer is as boring as expected and Derek keeps watching his phone the whole time, willing it to ring. It stays quiet, unsurprisingly, and Derek signs a paper after paper, and tries to keep track. At least Claudia is content playing upstairs with the doll house.

Finally, with everything settled, they head home. His mom has packed him a large Tupperware full of his favorite casserole. They eat it on the couch watching the Paw Patrol. After the third episode, Derek feels he’s never going to get that tune out of his head.

“Do you want to take a bath?” he asks her when they’re done with eating.

Once again, she goes stiff and shakes her head. “Tomorrow?”

“You want to take a bath tomorrow?” he asks a little confused.

She nods. “Yeah. With daddy?” The hope in her voice breaks Derek’s heart.

“Oh, Claudia, baby, that’s… I’m not…”

Her face falls and she shrinks into herself. Derek doesn’t know how to fix that and after a few moments of scraping for anything to say, he just sighs.

“Let’s get you to bed. You can sleep with me again.”

With Claudia asleep, Derek sits at the kitchen table and aimlessly browses the internet, keeping an eye on his phone the whole time. He’s exhausted and barely able to keep his eyes open. Finally, he gives up and goes to the bathroom and brush his teeth and get ready for bed.

Derek drops the toothbrush into the sink with a loud clunk when his phone starts ringing. He sprints back into the kitchen and grabs the phone, almost dropping it on the floor in his haste. His stomach flips when he sees the name of the caller: _John Stilinski._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about the cliffhanger, I know, I'm the worst. The next chapter will be Stiles' POV and I know it will take me much longer to write so don't expect it this quickly. Hold on, we're almost there!:)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for this chapter! It really sucks for Stiles, proceed with caution. For specific warnings, see notes at the end

When the van door closes, Stiles is hit by a feeling of deja vu so strong it makes his head spin. Only this time, seeing Derek disappear behind the door is immeasurably worse. His heart feels like it will shatter in pieces and he struggles for every breath.

Claudia curls up on his lap and hides her face against his chest. Stiles tries to say something comforting but gives up after a few aborted efforts. He really doesn’t have it in him right now to lie.

The drive is over before Stiles can get his scattered thoughts together and light spills inside the van as the door is opened again.

“Take her,” a rough, bored voice says.

“What?” Stiles is on his feet immediately and backing as far into the van as possible. Two guys get into the cargo space after him and wrestle her out of his arms despite his desperate attempt at a fight.

One of the men carries her away, screaming and kicking, while the other stays in the car. Stiles tries to push past him but he just twists his arm behind his back painfully, making him bend over.

“Calm down, please,” the man says, almost pleadingly.

“Like fuck I will,” Stiles hisses through his teeth and tries to kick out his leg, aiming at the man’s crotch.

“Seriously, stop it.”

“Fuck you!”

An exasperated sigh is the last thing Stiles hears before the electricity hits him. He crumples to the hard floor and everything goes black for a moment. When he finally comes to again, he’s alone and the van is moving again. _Oh no no no, this is bad_. He has a pretty good idea where they’re going but why is Claudia not here? _Where_ is she?

It seems like forever, alone in a bouncing vehicle with nothing to distract his panicky thoughts, before they finally stop again. When he’s dragged out of the back of the van, he recognizes Alpha’s house immediately, even though he’s only seen it a couple of times from the outside.

He goes on shaky legs, still twitchy from being tased. His heart is beating in overdrive and he feels the impeding panic attack just around the corner.

The massive door is opened by one of Alpha’s employees. She signs a piece of paper and then the guards retreat back to the vehicle, leaving Stiles to his fate. He stands awkwardly in the middle of the lavish foyer, feeling completely out of place, still in his jeans wet from playing in the snow and the puffy warm jacket Derek’s bought him.

“Wait here,” the woman orders courtly and disappears inside the house. Stiles goes to his knees immediately. He is so not above begging. He’d lick Alpha’s shoes if it meant he could get Claudia back. He is scared shitless but in the back of his mind there is still hope that this is just a temporary punishment to teach him a lesson and if he’s good enough, maybe he’ll get her back.

He waits for a long time. The cold tiles are hard underneath him and soon his legs go numb. He doesn’t move though, only counts his breaths to keep the panic at bay. In through his nose, out through his mouth. Over and over.

The light in the room has started to fade, giving way to the early evening dusk, by the time he finally hears Alpha’s heavy steps. He doesn’t dare look up but it only takes one look at his polished shoes to know it really is him. He stops a few steps from Stiles’ kneeling form and Stiles can’t take the heavy silence that hangs over them.

“I’m so sorry, Alpha, please.” The words tumble out of him and there is no stopping them. “Please, please, I’ll be good, I’ll do anything. But my baby, please...”

He does not expect the backhanded slap and it sends him toppling to the floor. He doesn’t try to get up, only props his forehead on the cold floor and spreads his hands on each side of his body. A complete submission.

It doesn’t seem to appease him, though, and a hand fists in his hair and pulls so heard, tears spring into Stiles’ eyes.

“I’m really disappointed,” Alpha says in an icy cold tone. “I gave you a home. A room of your own, a bed, food, I let you have that little brat of yours. Is it too much to expect a little gratitude? You omegas really are low creatures.”

He lets go of him with a sigh and Stiles sags back onto the floor. “Let’s see if I can teach you to appreciate your Alpha’s kindness. Strip.”

Stiles hesitates for a moment, trying to gauge if more begging will only piss him off. Clearly he’s waited a moment too long and the kick into his ribcage leaves him gasping in pain. It feels like his bruised ribs have been cracked in two.

“Strip,” Alpha repeats and the tone sends a wave of dread through Stiles’ veins. With shaking hands he sheds off the jacket, followed by the rest of the clothes. Soon he’s standing completely naked and his cheeks burn with shame. Still he doesn’t look up, too afraid of what he might find in Alpha’s eyes.

“Come.” Stiles follows him through the house, leaving the clothes in a heap on the floor.  This time, they don’t go to what used to be Stiles’ room but stop in front of the door leading down to the basement. They descend down the narrow staircase into the cold and damp room. Immediately, Stiles starts to shiver with cold and takes a frantic look around.

He sees part of the spacious basement has been turned into a sort of cell, with bars separating it from the rest of the area. It is completely bare save for a narrow mattress and a bucket in the corner.

Stiles plants his feet but Alpha is strong. He grabs Stiles by the back of his neck and drags him inside. He is pinned down to the flimsy mattress by a knee in the middle of his back.

“You stink,” Alpha huffs to his ear from behind. “Like _him_. I’m gonna fix that.” The clinking of the belt being undone is the only warning Stiles gets and he forces himself to go limb. Alpha keeps him pinned to the mattress as he fucks him, leaning his weight across him until he can hardly breathe. Eyes shut tight, he can only wait for it to be over.

Finally, he feels him pull out and hot cum spatters all across his back. “That’s better,” Alpha grunts and Stiles hears him get dressed again. He doesn’t dare move or even lift his face from the mattress. The gate to his cell is shut close with a loud bang and then the steps retreat up the stairs.

At last he’s left alone. Cold and filthy, he feels the panic attack finally take over. He doesn’t fight it and lets it drag him under.

-

He doesn’t know how long he’s been lying there when he finally regains consciousness again. The dried cum is flaking from his back and he gags. His fingers are numb from the cold and he curls up in a ball, trying to preserve some of the heat. He would press himself against the wall but it’s cold and wet, even colder than the concrete floor.

He hugs his knees close and wills himself to go back to sleep, to escape this horror. Time passes sluggishly. With no window or natural light, it’s impossible to tell if it’s day or night and how long he’s been there.

He pisses in the rusty bucket when he can’t hold it anymore and tries not to think about using it for other needs. Maybe he’ll just starve to death or die of thirst first.

Weirdly enough, the thought doesn’t even scare him anymore. It’s over. Claudia’s gone. He lost her and he’ll never see her again. He’s never getting out of here and even if by some miracle he managed to escape, where would he go? Where would he look for her?

He thinks of Derek and his promises but it only adds salt to his raw wounds. Derek’s not coming for him. Maybe he’ll try for a while and then realize it’s futile. He’ll give up soon and move on with his life. Couldn’t really blame him, too.

Finally, exhaustion takes over again and he falls into a restless sleep. The next time he wakes up, there’s a bowl of what looks suspiciously like dog food and a bottle of water next to his cage. He looks at it for a long time. He wants to give up. He wants to give up so desperately it hurts but then, the idea of leaving Claudia behind in this world makes all breath leave his body. If there is even the slightest chance of getting out, he has to hold onto it.

He takes a gulp of the water and sags back down on the mattress. He’s not quite ready to eat the weird looking mush yet. His body can run quite long without food. And starvation is a good way to put off his heat. Sure, it won’t work forever, he’s learned that from experience, but it will buy him some time.

And so he ignores his cramping stomach and just continues sipping at the water. He positions himself to have a clear view of the door but it stays firmly shut. Is that the plan? To deprive him of any human touch until he longs for Alpha? Stiles scoffs to himself. Not happening.

He entertains himself by retelling all the stories he used to tell Claudia in his head and making up new ones. Heroic tales where a knight in shining armor saves the day, rescues the princess and slays the beast. He daydreams of Derek bursting through that door, cradling him in his muscled arms and kissing him speechless.

 _Shit_. Renewed panic ties his insides in knots. He really is close. He feels his heat looming just beyond the horizon, churning inside him, like a huge wave threatening to break at any moment and sweep him away. Sweat starts to pool on his back despite the chilly air in the basement.

He gets up on stiff legs and tries to work out some of the restlessness. Pacing around does little to alleviate the tension deep in his bones. Still, he tries to wear himself out, to burn the energy reserves he managed to pick up at Derek’s, anything just to make it _stop._

Finally, he collapses down on the mattress, panting. He’s exhausted but he feels the heat retreat. For now, anyway. A dull headache is building steadily behind his eyes and he suddenly he can’t seem to keep his eyes open. His body is so confused. Is it one in the afternoon or in the night? He seriously can’t tell and all the frustration becomes too much to bear. For the first time, he doesn’t fight the tears and starts to sob helplessly, ignoring the agony in his ribs.

He doesn’t remember falling asleep. Still, he’s woken up by a loud bang as the door comes flying apart. People with guns start spilling into the basement, the light of flashlights blinding Stiles. He scrambles into the faraway corner and curls himself into a ball, trying to protect as much of his naked body with his arms as possible.

“Clear!” someone shouts and then finally the main light comes on. Stiles blinks in confusion at the masked men with FBI vests.

“He’s here!” one of them shouts to somebody upstairs. A uniformed officer with a bullet proof vest starts to descend the stairs and Stiles’ heart comes to a stop.

“Dad?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: rape, abuse, fleeting suicidal thoughts.
> 
> So, I decided to take mercy on you and finish this chapter earlier. Uff. Anyway, we're leaving next Tuesday for a vacation and we're having a get together with friends after that, so I think that's all I can manage this year. Enjoy the holidays and I'll see you next year!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm back from Dubai, the vacation was awesome but now I have three bags full of sand and dirty clothes, two jet-lagged children, messy apartment and in two days we're leaving again. I managed to put this chapter together for you but the next one will be late again, sorry!

“Dad?” Stiles croaks, his breath hitching. “What… Why-” He thought he was being rescued. But now his dad is here and he can’t even begin to comprehend what that means.

“Oh, Stiles, thank god!” His dad hurries across the basement in long strides and barks at the nearest agent: “Get that door open! And somebody get me a blanket.”

Soon he is wrapped in a warm blanket, his dad watching him with a worried expression. “Can you walk?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Let’s get you out of here.” He helps Stiles up and gently leads him towards the stairs, while supporting most of his weight.

“I don’t- I don’t understand,” he says through his chattering teeth. Suddenly he can’t stop shaking and he clutches the blanket closer.

“It’s okay, everything’s gonna be fine.”

“I just- Please, what’s happening?” There is a hint of desperation in his voice. He can’t take this anymore. Not knowing what’s going to happen, where he’s being taken. Finally, his father takes pity on him and turns to him.

“Derek told me everything. I’m so sorry, Stiles. I didn’t… I’d never sell you.”

Stiles stays quiet trying to process the enormity of that statement but he’s reeling. His mind keeps spinning in circles and nothing makes sense.

“It’s okay, Stiles. Let’s get you home. We’ll talk when you’re feeling better. Everything’s going to be alright.” Stiles doesn’t argue and lets himself be guided out of the house into the waiting ambulance, even though he wants to scream. Nothing’s going to be alright. Claudia’s gone and nothing will ever be alright again without her.

A weird numbness settles over him. He lets himself be checked by the medic inside the ambulance and takes the painkillers for his cracked ribs without a word of protest. He redresses in his clothes brought to him in a plastic bag and then shuffles stiffly to his dad’s cruiser.

He waits in the back of the car while his dad makes a phone call. Around him, agents are swarming the house and Stiles catches one of them give him the stink eye. He quickly averts his eyes, a feeling of uneasiness heavy in his stomach. It’s not hard to guess what everyone’s thinking. Nobody would ever call a fucking swat team to save an omega. If he weren’t the son of the Sheriff, he’d probably rot in there forever.

Finally, his dad is done with the call and joins him in the car with a heavy-hearted sigh. “Let’s go home,” he only mutters and starts the car. He cranks the heating all the way up, for which Stiles is grateful even though he feels like he’s never going to be warm again.

Stiles dozes off on the way, unable to keep his eyes open. He rests his head against the cool window, feel his mouth hang open but can’t find it in himself to care. He carefully holds onto the protective numbness even though he feels it cracking at the edges.

When they stop, he blinks blearily and tries to rub the sleep from his eyes. Even though it’s dark, he recognizes their house immediately. Of course this is what his dad meant when he said _home_. What did he expect? He grew up here, lived here for sixteen years, so why does it feel so… wrong? Why is he suddenly longing for his bed in Derek’s loft?

He forces himself to stop overanalyzing everything and just gets out of the car. He is about to make a run for the door to get out of the cold when there is a high-pitched noise behind him. His heart is pounding in his ears as he turns around. Derek is standing on the other side of the road, leaning against his sleek car. In his arms he’s holding Claudia, all bundled up in clothes, barely even visible behind the scarf wrapped all around her face. She is currently wiggling excitedly in his hold, trying to get down.

Derek crosses the road and carefully puts her down. Stiles barely registers his knees hitting the pavement as his legs finally give out under him. She jumps round his neck and it’s like the dam’s been broken. Suddenly he’s sobbing into her jacket, clutching her desperately like she might disappear at any moment.

He’s only half-aware of Derek hovering uncertainly nearby and his dad trying to get him out of the snow and giving up eventually. His tears dry up soon, though. He’s just too exhausted to keep this up and he starts to shake again. All he wants to do is curl up in bed with Claudia and sleep for a week but he forces his head up and looks at Derek.

“Thank you,” he whispers and it feels so inadequate. These two words could never express his gratitude for Derek bringing Claudia back. It’s all he has, though.

Derek smiles and wraps his hand around his arm, gently helping him up from the ground. Stiles only wishes there weren’t so many layer of clothes between them, he wants to feel Derek’s warmth, his _skin_.

“It’s okay. I’m glad you’re safe. Come on, you need to get some rest.”

Derek exchanges a few hushed words with his dad but Stiles doesn’t bother trying to make them out. He doesn’t really remember getting to bed or his dad helping him out of the soaked clothes. He barely registers laying down in the soft bed, Claudia pressed against him. He throws an arm over her and is out like a light.

*

The bed is empty when he wakes up. He groans, trying to take stock of the damage. He’s hungry, his ribs are throbbing viciously and there is a deep ache between his legs that he refuses to acknowledge. When he tries to get out of bed, all his muscles are stiff and sore and he feels like 80 years old.

He hobbles down the stairs, already grinning at the sound of Claudia’s voice carrying from the living room. Sure enough, he finds them sitting on the couch, watching her beloved Trolls, and Claudia commenting and explaining every scene to his dad, who’s doing a good job of looking enthralled.

“Daddy!” she shouts mid-sentence and runs towards him. Lifting her up proves much harder than he anticipated and so he collapses on the couch and she straddles him. He rains down small kisses all over her face and hair, making her giggle.

“What time is it?” he asks, finally lifting his eyes from Claudia.

“Half past one. We already had lunch but I can heat it up for you.”

“Please. I’m starving.”

His dad disappears in the kitchen and Stiles savors the weight of Claudia on his lap, her chubby hands playing with his messy hair, patting his cheeks; it’s like she’s making sure he’s really there.

“Did you have good time with Derek?”

“Yeah,” she nods. “We went to a huge store with toys.” Suddenly her smile disappears and she looks at Stiles sadly. “I left all my toys at Derek’s.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we can get them later,” he answers but a weird feeling suddenly settles in his stomach. He has no idea what’s going to happen now. Is Derek expecting them to come back and live with him? Or is he just glad to have them off his hands? He took them in out of pity, anyway. And now that they’re safe with Stiles’ dad…. That thought twists a knife in his insides.

The microwaves beeps and Stiles gets up, depositing Claudia back on the couch to finish her movie. His dad sits in the opposite chair and watches Stiles as he digs in, stuffing his mouth full of delicious lasagna, burning his tongue in the process.

After only a few bites, his stomach gurgles uncomfortably and Stiles leans back to take a break. Already he’s starting to sweat again.

“I’m really sorry,” his dad says, breaking the silence.

Stiles shrugs. “’Snot your fault.” It doesn’t sound convincing even to his own ears. It’s weird, though. The past four years he’s spent hating his father, blaming all his misery on him. Now he’s telling him he didn’t sell him and even though rationally he knows it wasn’t his fault, it’s hard to get his emotions up to speed.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t find you sooner.”

Stiles stays silent, unsure what to say to that. He can’t help but feel like it’s his own fault, anyway. He should have run sooner. The first time Alpha finally left him unattended inside the house, he should have made a run for it. But he already had Claudia at that time and she was just a baby. He’d take a lot of abuse for her to keep her save and fed. Protecting her was always the first thing on his mind. In retrospect, he probably just gave her more emotional damage, though.

“And I would have never found you without Derek’s help.” The resentment in his dad’s voice is hard to miss and Stiles immediately perks up at the mention of Derek’s name.

“Where is he, anyway?”

“He’s taking care of the papers. He’s gonna register as your Alpha.”

“Oh, okay,” Stiles sags a little in relief and tries to get a few more mouthfuls in, this time more slowly.

“Doesn’t mean anything, though. Derek said it himself. He’ll just put his name in so you don’t have to go back to the center.”

Stiles feels like a bucket of ice water has been dumped on his head. “He said that?” he asks softly. He places the fork down, suddenly not very hungry. He should be relieved. That’s what he wanted, isn’t it? To just go home and not have to serve any stupid Alpha.

“I think I need to lay down for a while. I’m not… I don’t feel that great.” The jittery tension underneath his skin is back and yet he’s still exhausted.

“Yeah, sure, go ahead.”

“Will you be okay?” Stiles asks and nods towards the living room, where the movie is still playing.

“Of course. I’ll send her up to join you if she misses you.”

“Thanks.” He slowly shuffles out of the room. “Shouldn’t you be at work?” he asks as he reaches the stairs.

“Nah. Let the feds figure it out. They’re going to have their hands full for a while. You know, I always said this wasn’t a one-time thing. I found some cases of missing young omegas, disappearing just after they hit sixteen. I couldn’t never find any proof that these were connected, but… Gerard Argent, the fucker who had you, seems to be in charge. They’re starting to uncover some deep shit. We’ll see how it turns out but I’m sure they’ll manage without me for a while. This is more important,” he gestures to Stiles.

Stiles just nods and continues to his bedroom. He’s anxious to be alone, to be able to breathe out and process everything that’s happening. He plops on the bed, face first, and groans into the pillow. He turns the words over and over in his head. Maybe it just sounds worse than it is. Derek probably didn’t even mean it like this. He’ll come see Stiles soon and they’ll figure it out, Stiles is sure of it.

He does doze off eventually but doesn’t get any rest. His sleep is full of feverish nightmares, most of them featuring Derek. Derek’s face, his hands pinning him down in an iron grip, and he can’t escape, isn’t even sure if he wants to…

He wakes with a gasp and sits on the bed, panting. “Oh, fuck,” he mutters as he feels the slick trickle down his thighs.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is short but at least I have an update for you before leaving, enjoy!

Derek has been staring at the wall for the past hour, chewing on his nails absentmindedly. Has it always been this silent? How did he live alone for the past two years and not go crazy from the suffocating stillness?

It’s late and Derek should probably go to sleep but he can’t make himself go to the empty bed just yet. Which is stupid. At least he won’t have to play a tug-of-war for his blanket and can spread his legs whichever way he wants. He should be happy.

And he is. The relief he felt when he got the call last night was like a punch in the stomach. It made him weak and dizzy and he had to take a good ten minutes to get himself under control before he went to wake Claudia up. He did contemplate letting her sleep and tell her in the morning but he could imagine Stiles didn’t want to spend a minute more without his daughter.

Seeing Stiles sobbing on the cold ground, he had no idea what to do. He wanted to bundle him in the warmest blanket he owned and just carry him home but it was clear he was pretty out of it. He barely got to speak a few words with him before his dad herded him inside the house.

Before he left, the Sheriff made it clear that Derek should stay away, give Stiles some space and let him get himself together. Which makes perfect sense and Derek’s been busy today anyway, signing million papers, making sure Stiles was registered as his omega. It’s perfectly reasonable, Derek tries to convince himself. Stiles has been through a lot, no wonder he needs some time alone in the safety of his own room.

Still, he’s an omega, Derek’s omega, arguably, and he’s hurt and alone, and it’s tearing Derek apart, making all his innate instincts go crazy. Suddenly he feels the metallic tang of blood in his mouth and looks at his chewed down nails in disgust.

 _Oh, fuck this shit_. He gets up and puts on his sneakers. Who cares if it’s cold and dark outside, he’s going for a run. He’s going to wear himself out until he passes out. That sounds like a solid plan.

He’s been running for what feels like hours, puffing white clouds of breath that create little frozen crystals on his hair and eyebrows. Inevitably, he finds himself in front of their burned-down house and he takes a break, staring at the ruins.

It was the perfect house for their family. Surrounded by the woods, with little creeks and hideouts. In the summer, his sisters and Derek used to spend the whole day just exploring, playing pretend in the little house they built from sticks and moss. They would return long after the sun has started to set, hungry and with dirt under their nails, and their mom would always tell them off and then send them to wash up with a fond smile on her lips.

When he got older, he always knew he would return there. Settle down, have a bunch of kids, show them all of his favorite spots…

His grits his teeth. It’s just a house. Bricks, and wood and mortar. And he needs to tear it down before it collapses on some poor kid’s head.

He starts to shiver as he cools down and sweat starts dry on him. He forces himself to turn around and jog back home. By the time he finally gets to the apartment, he barely feels his toes. He takes a long hot shower until his skin turns red and then collapses onto the bed, falling asleep immediately.

*

He gives up on the third day. He carefully packs the Playstation into its original box, double checking that he included all cables and accessories. It’s a good plan, he thinks. He considered including Claudia’s toys as well but it felt too much like kicking them out. This way, he’ll keep the clothes and toys and only give Stiles the Playstation so that he has something to do while recovering. And most importantly, it’ll give Derek the chance to speak to him, check how he’s doing and reconnect a little.

By 9 AM he’s ready in the car and then curses himself. What if Stiles is still sleeping? What is a socially acceptable time to appear at someone’s door uninvited? He spends the next hour driving aimlessly through the town, letting his mind wander and counting minutes.

When it’s finally 10:30, he heads towards the Sheriff’s house, his heart already beating in anticipation. He doesn’t want to appear threatening or make Stiles think he’s come to drag him away from his home. That’s the last thing he wants, coerce Stiles into something.

But he wants Stiles, wants him to want Derek. How is he ever going to make him see that he would never push him into something Stiles doesn’t want. But he is Stiles’ Alpha now and that makes everything so much more complicated. Can there ever be a normal relationship when Derek holds all the power in the eyes of the law? Derek’s head starts to throb. He can’t even make sense of his own thoughts. He takes a deep breath as he turns into the right street. He’ll just hope Stiles will do the talking and pray for the best.

When he gets out of the car, a faint waft of Stiles’ scent catches his nose. It’s weak, almost gone, but it still stirs something deep inside him and makes his stomach clench longingly.

He knocks on the door and takes a step back. It doesn’t take long for the Sheriff to appear. He steps outside the house and closes the door behind him even though it’s freezing and he’s only wearing a t-shirt.

“Hello,” he greets with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. With his arms crossed over his chest, he radiates surprising hostility that throws Derek off for a moment.

“Um, hi,” he manages, suddenly not sure how to continue. Stilinski’s eyes flick to the box he’s holding and Derek finally remembers why he’s here.

“I brought this for Stiles.”

“Alright, thanks, I’ll give it to him” the Sheriff takes the box and is about to return inside the house.

“Um, can I… Do you think I could talk to him?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s, well- He doesn’t want to see you right now,” Stilinski answers in a clipped tone.

“Oh.” Derek looks up towards one of the windows upstairs. Is that Stiles’ bedroom? Would he hear him if he shouted his name? As tempting as it is, he makes himself meet Stilinski’s eyes again. The man looks tired, anxious, the stress furrowing a deep line on his forehead.

“Okay,” he deflates. “Can I get his number, though?” Derek asks, already pulling out a phone from his pocket.

“He hasn’t set up a new phone yet. But I have your number. I’ll tell him to text you, alright?” With that, the Sheriff retreats back inside and Derek is left standing at the porch feeling like a fool. He shouldn’t have come. Stilinski told him clearly to stay away and he couldn’t last more than two freaking days. Stiles is home. With his father and Claudia, safe and free at last. Of course he doesn’t want to see Derek. Why would he.

But he still remembers the way Stiles held his hand, his touch soft and affectionate. The way he pressed against him on the couch and how he looked at him, with something unreadable in his whiskey colored eyes.

Derek slams the door of his car in frustration. Maybe he just imagined it all. Maybe Stiles was just trying to stay on his good side to survive; something he must have learned a long time ago.

He wastes the rest of the day away, hating himself for uselessly checking his phone every ten minutes. He almost has a mini heart attack once when it beeps but it’s only a text from his mom, asking him how he’s doing and if he wants to come over. He deletes the message in anger and throws the phone back on the table with a loud thud.

Other than that, though, the phone stays silent. He still makes sure the sound is on as he lays it next to his pillow before falling asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back! This chapter turned out much more angsty than originally anticipated... oh well... But there will be a happy ending, I promise!

Stiles feels like he’s dying. His heat hit him hard. He’s currently lying on the bed, utterly exhausted, his dick sore from all the jerking off and yet still frustratingly unsatisfied and aching for more.

The dread that consumed him when he discovered slick trickling down his thighs three days ago was hard squelch. It took him a good hour to get his panic under control and convince his brain that he was safe. _I’m not there anymore, I’m home, in my own room, it’s okay,_ he repeated like a mantra until he was finally able to get force enough oxygen through his constricted throat.

His dad, thank god, caught up on what’s happening the moment he went to check on Stiles when he didn’t return from his nap. The smell of an omega in heat was pungent and easy even for betas to recognize.

“It’s okay, Stiles,” he called through the door and Stiles had to concentrate hard to hear him over the panic still buzzing in his ears. “I’m here. You’re okay. I’ll take care of Claudia, don’t worry about her.”

He was left alone to his own devices then. His dad has been bringing him heavy, fulfilling meals and lots of water and leaving it in front of his door. Sometimes he ate it, practically devoured it, barely taking time to chew it, swallowing it in record time until his stomach hurt, other times he felt like throwing up from only looking at food.

The heat came in waves. At times he was sweating and shaking, whining into the pillow and biting at his hand to keep from screaming, desperate for _anyone_ to just take him and fuck him into the mattress. Sometimes it was Derek in his fantasies and sometimes the memories of his old Alpha fucking him, murmuring _oh yeah, you like it, don’t you_ , came to the surface and he scrambled into the bathroom desperate to make it to the toilet to throw up. Even then, with his abs and ribs hurting from retching, curled up on the cold tiled floor, he still felt inexplicably horny and hated himself for it.

His mind cleared between the waves and he was able to think, and it was almost worst. He could not stop thinking about Derek, alternating between being pissed and being relieved that he wasn’t there. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to have sex with him, honestly. Well, no, that’s not true, of course he wanted. If Derek was here, he would drag him into bed and moan and mewl for him, just like he did for Alpha before. And that’s what scared him. He’s wasn’t sure if he could ever look Derek or himself in the eyes again.

He just wished he was here to hold him. A single touch, the calming smell of Derek would soothe the deep pain that was tearing him apart, Stiles was sure of it. Even his voice, if he could just hear him, even from behind the closed door… But of course, Derek never came and Stiles’ stupid hindbrain screamed _abandoned_.

When another wave of heat took him under, he kind of wished he at least had a dildo but he was way too mortified to ask his dad.

On the second day he was still pretty much out of his mind with lust but he remembers hearing the soft padding in front of his door and then the clanking as something was thrown on the floor. A moment later he heard his dad call softly.

“Claudia?”

No answer came and his dad drew a bit closer. “Do you want to watch a movie with me? Or we could go to a park.”

Still nothing and after a beat, his dad heaved a resigned sigh. “You want to play here, huh? I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

Stiles bit the back of his hand until the pain grounded him a little. He felt so sorry for leaving Claudia alone, _again_ , but he couldn’t… he didn’t want her to see him like this. And so he stayed silent but even knowing she was there, feeling her presence nearby, did alleviate at least a bit of the mind-consuming feeling of abandonment.

 

It’s been three days now and he finally feels like he might have survived the worst of it. He’s wrung out, like he’s been turned inside out, and his head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton but the burning heat underneath his skin is gone.

He sits on the bed slowly and listens intently.

“Claudia?”

“Daddy?” She answers immediately. Oh good, so she’s still camping outside his door, then. “Do you want to come in?”

He doesn’t have to ask twice. She barrels through the door and immediately plasters herself against Stiles’ chest. They lay down and Stiles repositions her so that she doesn’t press on his broken ribs. Finally, something in his chest eases and he takes the first deep breath in what feels like eternity. He runs his hand through her hair, noticing how dull and matted it is.

“You stink,” she complaints after they’ve cuddled for so long his arm is getting numb.

Stiles lets out a chuckle and takes a whiff. “Oh, you’re the one to talk. When was the last time you took a bath?”

She doesn’t answer, only shrugs, but her smile disappears. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry for not being there for you. It’s me and you now, okay? I’m never leaving you again.”

She nods against his chest. “Alright, let’s do it,” he exclaims with trained fake-cheerfulness and gets up from the bed, trying not to show how dizzy it makes him.

She trails him into the bathroom and watches him as he starts to draw a bath. It feels like a lifetime ago when he last did this, back at Derek’s, and he forces himself not to dwell on the memory. He notices there are several unopened bottles of children’s shampoo on the shelf, some even with Claudia’s favorite movie characters. Huh. His dad probably tried to get her to bathe. Unsuccessfully, it seems.

Once the bath is ready, they both get in. Thank god for large tubs. Stiles stretches his legs and just enjoys the perfect warmth as it seeps all his aches away.

“Let’s get clean,” he says finally and throws a wet washcloth towards Claudia. It lands with a loud splash on her head and face and Stiles burst out laughing. Claudia retaliates immediately and Stiles has no time to duck before another soaking wet washcloth hits him square on his face as well. It soon turns into a full-blown war and Claudia is laughing so hard she’s gasping for breath and tears glisten in her eyes. Her laughter is so contagious he can’t help but laugh as well, regardless of the pain it sends through his ribs.

By the time they’re done, the bathroom is a mess. There’s water everywhere, pooling on the floor and trickling down the mirror, but he doesn’t give a shit right now. Their clothes are soaked too and he throws them in the hamper.

Both of them wrapped in huge towels they finally make their way to the living room to find Stiles’ dad on the couch with a laptop, a displeased frown on his face. His expression softens when he notices them.

“Oh, hi,” he smiles. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah,” Stiles answers, unable to meet his dad’s eyes. _Feeling better_. As if he just got over a fucking flue. He’s not sick.

“Clothes are in the drawer for now,” he gestures to one of the cabinets. Stiles finds it full of toddler clothes, mostly pink, sorted neatly to piles of t-shirts, pants and underwear. He chooses an outfit for Claudia and then looks around, taking in the toys stacked by the wall.

“You’ve been busy,” Stiles comments. His dad follows his gaze and then his smiles.

“Well of course. Anything for my only grandchild,” he ruffles her still wet hair and then turns to Stiles with a more serious expression. “I’m really sorry. I tried to… but she basically refused to leave your door.”

“It’s fine, it’s just… there’s been a lot of changes, I guess.”

“Yeah well, you have all the time you need to settle down now. We can turn the spare room upstairs into a kids room. Remodel your old room, whatever you want.”

“Thanks,” he says trying not to let his lack of enthusiasm show. Instead, he goes back to his room for some clothes. First, though, he opens the window wide to let in fresh air and get rid of the stench of sweat and arousal. Upon inspection, he discovers all his old wardrobe is exactly as he left it. All his t-shirt with silly prints, smelling a little dusty, all his old jeans and even his favorite hoodie. The whole room looks like a fucking museum. Everything is tidy, coated with a small layer of dust, stiff and unlived in. It belongs to a stupid teenager and Stiles is definitely not that kid anymore.

Once they are both dressed, Stiles puts on some cartoons and they lounge on the couch. It takes less than ten minutes for Claudia to fall asleep, her head resting on Stiles’ lap.

“She hasn’t been sleeping much,” his dad whispers and gently covers her with a blanket. Stiles clenches his teeth as another wave of guilt washes over him. His stupid omega biology. It’s his fault. He’s the worst parent ever.

Mindlessly he browses the channels until a familiar face makes him flinch. It’s a news channel and his Alpha’s face takes up half of the screen. _“A trafficking ring targeting young omegas has been discovered. The main suspect, Gerard Argent, is currently under investigation…_ Stiles winces and turns the TV off, glad that Claudia is soundly sleeping.

“That big, huh?” This isn’t some local news, either.

“Yep, the media is going crazy. A group of omega rights activists is even trying to push for better laws for the protection of omegas. It’s going to be interesting.”

“Hm,” Stiles only says. He should care, he knows, but right now it’s hard to think anything beyond himself and Claudia, warm on heavy on his lap. He gently slips from under her, placing a pillow under her had.

“I’m gonna…” he starts but then all words leave him when notices the box sitting inconspicuously on the floor next to the TV. For one crazy moment he thinks his dad also bought him a PS4 but then he sees the box has already been opened and the tape cut. “What… Why… Why is this here?”

“Oh, Derek dropped it here,” his dad says, not even lifting his eyes from his laptop.

“He was here? But… Did he…” _Did he ask about me?_ he wants to ask but settles for: “Did he say anything else?”

“No. Just gave me the box and went.”

The whole room starts spinning underneath Stiles’ feet and he just stays there, frozen, as something inside him crumbles. From the corner of his eyes he sees his dad finally put the laptop away and stand up from the couch. He comes closer to Stiles and there’s a moment when he thinks he will hug him. Stiles’ whole body craves the comfort and he leans imperceptibly closer. But the spell is broken and he just pats him awkwardly on the shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

Stiles takes a moment to get himself together, angrily swallowing his tears. _Fuck him. Who needs a fucking Alpha anyway_. When he’s sure he’s not going to lose it in front of his dad, he follows him into the kitchen.


	17. Chapter 17

Life goes on, as it always does, regardless of Stiles’ feelings. His dad returns to work, doing long shifts, probably to make up for the time he lost taking care of Stiles. Every evening he comes home late, looking exhausted, and after a quick dinner he usually shuts himself in his study to work some more.

Stiles forces himself to shut all his stupid thoughts and daydreams about Derek, locks them deep down to a dark place in his brain, and devotes all his time and energy to Claudia. His dad gives him a free reign of his credit card and he buys out half of the online toy store, mostly art and crafts supplies.

They then spend their long lonely days creating little puppets from a toilet paper roll or whatever Stiles happened to find an inspiration for online. It’s fun. It gives him something to do with his hands and Claudia is having a blast. She’s thrilled about everything Stiles draws for her and is never put off by Stiles’ lack of artistic talent or skills.

She also suddenly enters the _why_ phase. At first, Stiles is overjoyed, ecstatic that she is curious about the big world that has opened to her. He soon realizes that there is clearly no satisfactory answer that would put an end to her endless stream of _whys,_ regardless of how scientifically accurate it is.

“Daddy, why is it dark?”

“Because the sun has set.”

“Why?”

“Well, because the earth is turning around the Sun and we can’t see it right now, it’s on the other side of our planet.”

“But why?”

“Because the sun has gone to sleep.”

“Why?”

He finds that the best strategy is to redirect her attention to something else. It usually buys him at least a ten-minute reprieve before she starts asking why again. In the evenings, his brain feels all fried from making up a reason for everything but Stiles wouldn’t change a thing.

Once Stiles finally got over his heat, she moves to his bed immediately and the first night she sleeps twelve hours straight. A few days later they have a discussion about it with his dad over breakfast.

“We could move the bed from the spare room to your room. For Claudia,” he says as he puts a pile of freshly fried bacon on his plate.

“That’s okay.”

“Or we can buy a new one. I’ll send you a link, I saw some really nice kids’ beds with storage,” he pushes on.

“No really, it’s fine. I like sharing bed with her.”

He puts down the fork and pins him down with a serious expression. “I know you do. But she’s not a baby anymore. You’re not really doing her any favor. She needs to start gaining a little bit of independence. She can start sleeping in her own bed and then gradually move to her own room.”

“But…” Stiles just gapes at him, unable to form a coherent thought. He can’t imagine not having her in his bed. He’s clingy, he knows it, and probably selfish, but he just needs her. She’s the only form of human touch he has and everyday he’s grateful that she’s still in that age when she doesn’t just roll her eyes and push him away. He’s been so unbalanced lately, having to go through the heat alone and losing his Alpha, he needs the touch. He keeps hugging and cuddling her any moment he gets and it is still barely enough to keep him from unraveling.

“It’s okay. I’ll send you the link, just take a look at it, okay?”

He just nods, unable to find his voice. He goes through the rest of day on autopilot. He vacuums the whole house, dusts every surface, scrubs the bathroom clean, anything to not have to stop and think. Claudia notices his sour mood immediately and just plays quietly on the floor. The stiff silence does nothing to snap him out of it, though.

In the evening, while his dad is still at work, having missed yet another dinner, he plops on the couch, exhausted. Claudia is there immediately, wedging herself under his arm and pressing herself close.

“Daddy?”

“Hm?” he says, distractedly petting her hair.

“I miss Derek.”

He flinches hard and jerks away as if got burned.

“Can we go visit him?”

“Uh, I’m sorry, that’s not a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so!” he snaps, regretting it immediately, when he sees her face fall. “I’m sorry Claudia, it’s complicated. Grown-up stuff. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

She pouts a little but fortunately drops the subject. _Visit Derek_ , Stiles huffs to himself. The guy’s clearly not interested in Stiles, he can’t just pop up at his doorstep. What would he even say, anyway. Well, he does owe him a proper thank you. Regardless of how everything turned out, Derek did save his ass and as much as Stiles wants to hate him, he really can’t. Not to mention that Derek’s willingness to take him on as his omega is currently the only thing standing between Stiles and the center.

He could bake him thank you cookies, Stiles fantasizes. It occurs to him then that he doesn’t even know where Derek lives. He’s only ever been to the park around the corner. He might recognize the building if he saw it but he can’t just drive around town, hoping to find a familiar street.

Stiles rubs his eyes in frustration. He doesn’t have a driver’s license, can’t even get one without his Alpha’s permission.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he says again. “It’s not happening. Let’s go to bed.”

 

He figures Claudia is getting a little bit of a cabin fever and so the next day, after breakfast he digs out some warm clothes.

“We’re going out,” he announces.

His dad, intently watching some stupid political debate with someone who claims to be an ‘omega right specialist’, snaps his head up. “Where to?”

“I don’t know, just around the block. Maybe to a park. We’ll see.”

His dad walks to one of the cabinets and opens the top drawer. He pulls out a phone and throws it at Stiles. It’s a smartphone, one of the basic ones it seems.

“Take it with you, please. I’m off to work in ten minutes and I’ll feel better when I know you can call me if anything.”

“Alright,” Stiles pockets the phone and wrestles Claudia into her winter overall.

They slowly make their way down the street, trudging through the melted snow. Claudia stops to jump in every puddle and examine every stick and rock and it takes them almost thirty minutes to even get to the park.

Despite the cold weather there are several families strolling around the park and Stiles feels their eyes on him the moment he walks in. He immediately starts to feel self-conscious and tries to discreetly sniff at himself. Does he still smell of his heat? No, that’s not possible. And yet the stares seem to follow them everywhere.

He’s being paranoid, he tells himself and tries to focus on Claudia. He’s having trouble following her current line of questioning though and his heart is beating way too fast. It suddenly occurs to him that he’s never been outside alone, without Derek. _Oh fuck_ , why didn’t he think about before? Is it not normal for an omega to be outside unaccompanied? He has honestly no idea but suddenly longs for the safety of his home.

He starts to steer Claudia back out of the park when he notices from the corner of his eyes someone head towards them in long purposeful strides and he panics. He grabs Claudia in his arms and basically runs home. Claudia stays silent the whole time, holding tight and her eyes wide and scared.

She’s heavy and by the time they finally reach their door, he’s panting and sweating profusely. He steals a glance behind him as he unlocks the door with shaking hands but of course the street is empty. There was nobody following them.

He collapses on the floor once finally inside and presses the palms of his hands to his eyes to stop the tears threatening to spill. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. What the fuck is wrong with him? Why is he such a nervous wreck? He can’t even go to a park for more than an hour without losing his shit.

Claudia doesn’t say anything, just helps him undress, tugging down his shoes and jacket, as he struggles to get the panic under control. He doesn’t really remember how he got to the couch in the living room but when he finally comes to himself, they are both huddled under a blanket and cartoons are playing in the background.

By the time his dad finally comes home, he’s mostly back to himself. He reheats him dinner and sits next to him, eager to for the company, however short it may be, before he disappears in his study again.

“How was park?” he asks between mouthfuls.

Stiles just shrugs. “Is it weird for me to be outside alone?” he asks finally.

“Why do you ask?” his dad asks suspiciously.

“I dunno. Just... felt like people were looking at me weird,” Stiles mumbles.

His dad heaves an unhappy sigh. “I’m sorry, Stiles. They must have seen you on the news. I don’t know how it leaked, your identify was supposed to be strictly confidential but… It’s just rumors, though. Don’t talk to anyone and definitely don’t answer any questions.”

“Okay,” Stiles agrees unhappily.

“I’ll build a playset in the backyard. I wanted to wait until spring but I guess she could still play on a swing even when it’s cold. Maybe a slide, too?”

Stiles just nods, unable to follow the rest of the conversation. He doesn’t want to be ungrateful, really really doesn’t, after everything his dad has done for them, not to mention how much these things cost, but… the idea of being confined to yet another house and a small backyard surrounded by a fence makes his skin crawl.

He is doing the dishes when his dad comes back from his study and holds out a hand, holding a small bottle. Stiles takes it gingerly and inspects it. _Personal defense pepper spray_ , the writing on the can says and Stiles raises an eyebrow.

“And don’t be afraid to use it. I’ll take care of it if anyone complains,” his dad winks and is gone again.

 

 

Stiles never opens the link his dad sends him, yet the bed still arrives three days later. Claudia loves it at least. It is nice, Stiles admits begrudgingly; made of solid wood with various animals painted on the headboard, and it comes with a new set of matching bedding.

Claudia moves all her stuffed animals to the bed and spends most of the day playing on it. In the evening, though, when she’s all dressed up in her pajamas and ready to sleep, she heads for Stiles’ bed automatically.

“No, baby,” he stops her gently. “You’re sleeping in your own bed tonight.”

She looks at Stiles’ bed longingly and her eyebrows furrow unhappily. “Why?”

 _I don’t know_ , Stiles wants snap. Instead he takes a steadying breath to keep his voice from shaking and answers: “Because you’re a big girl and you have your own bed now.”

It takes her a long time to fall asleep. Stiles sits on the floor by the bed, holding her hand the entire time. By the time she’s finally out, his ass is numb and his ribs are killing him from being crouched in an uncomfortable position for so long.

He barely gets any sleep himself. Subconsciously, he keeps reaching out, trying to find her in his bed, and sitting up in terror before he realizes she’s sleeping on the other side of the room. His sleep, when it finally comes, is full of jumbled nightmares. He wakes up in the middle of the night, completely disoriented, panic gripping his heart, sweat making his hair cling to his forehead. For a moment he thinks he’s back at Alpha’s house and it takes him way too long to get his mind back to present.

He gets up on shaky legs and squeezes himself to the small bed next to Claudia. It’s a tight fit and his back is pressed against the cold wall behind him, but he still falls asleep immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was one more scene I wanted to include in this chapter originally but then it was getting too long and I felt like I was rushing it, just trying to get it over with and that was stressing me out. So I decided to post this, even though it doesn't really feel like a complete chapter, because I really have to start working on my translation projects, as much as I don't want to, and I didn't want to keep you waiting so long. Anyway, next chapter will be Stiles again and then we'll finally check on Derek.


	18. Chapter 18

Stiles is sitting on the floor, sorting the mail in slow, sluggish movements while Claudia is putting together the same puzzle for the tenth time in a row. He’s exhausted. The nightmares are now a nightly occurrence and each time they leave him shaking and gasping for breath, convinced that he’s back and Claudia is gone again. Most nights he’s just too afraid to go back to sleep so he puts on some stupid show and sips at his coffee until it’s finally time to wake Claudia up.

One night, after a particularly nasty nightmare that left him on the verge of a panic attack, he found himself in front of his dad’s bedroom, desperate for a reassuring touch, for even a word of comfort. With one hand already on the doorknob, he stopped himself at the last moment.

He’s pathetic. He didn’t want to be a needy, whiny omega. He wanted to be strong, just like his dad wanted him to be.

But the sleep deprivation, in combination with the shitload of coffee he drinks, just leaves him shaky, twitchy and nauseated, and there is a heavy ball of anxiety pressing on his lungs, making it hard to breathe.

Every morning Stiles finds it harder and harder to put on a cheerful smile and hold onto the festive mood for Claudia’s sake. Christmas is approaching fast and he wants to make it magical for her, to make it a happy memory filled with lights and awe and joy.

“Daddy, look!” Claudia brings him back to present, waving a leaflet she pulled from the pile of junk mail. It’s an ad for a Christmas village at the mall, complete with Santa and a little train with reindeer that goes around the mall. “Can we go? Please, can we?”

“Um,” Stiles hesitates, shooting an inquiring look towards his dad.

He inspects the leaflet, dislike clearly written on his face. “Really? The whole town’s going to be there. Do you really want to take her to a crowd of sniffling and coughing kids? She’ll only catch something.”

For a brief moment Stiles thinks about arguing but it seems like an enormous waste of energy that he absolutely does not have right now. “I’m sorry, baby. We could decorate the gingerbread cookies we baked last week?” Claudia just pursues her lips and starts on her puzzle again.

When his dad leaves for work half an hour later, Stiles cleans up the dishes. He barely touched his pancakes, unable to force them down, with his stomach permanently in knots, and he carefully wraps them. His dad’ll probably finish them after dinner, he usually likes something sweet as a dessert.

He lays out all the ingredients for an icing and then just stands there, frozen in the middle of the kitchen, unable to get his muscles to move. Hot rage builds somewhere deep under his skin and he feels he might scream if he has to spend another day locked inside baking cookies.

Finally, he turns around and storms up the stairs into his room. He rummages through the closet until he finds the little envelope containing a couple of crumpled twenties and a few coins, hidden safely under some boxes with shoes. He’d been saving, before everything, for a new game but fuck it. Pocketing the money he shouts: “Claudia! Get dressed. We’re going to the mall!”

*

Claudia is bouncing with excitement at his side by the time they finally get off the bus in front of the mall. It’s quite early and there isn’t even that many people. Still, Stiles self-consciously pulls his hat down to his eyes and hides his face in the scarf around his neck.

The train, pulled by plastic reindeers with saddles, makes a little a loop around the mall’s parking lot while blasting obnoxious Christmas music. Stiles lets himself be tugged to the little booth by the side and buys Claudia five rides. When the train stops, he helps her up on one of the reindeers and makes sure her ears are fully hidden under the warm hat.

It’s cold, with a harsh freezing wind making him sway on his feet. He notices there are some stands with hot drinks by the mall entrance but he stays put so that he can return her wave every time she passes him.

Halfway through the third round he starts to shiver. He’s always cold, lately. Even at home, dressed in three layers, and sitting by the radiator, there’s always coldness seeping down his bones.

“Stiles?” he hears behind him and he flails, instinctively scrambling away from the sound. He feels his cheeks turn red with shame at his reaction when he sees Talia, looking as imposing and Alpha-like as he remembers her.

“I thought I saw Claudia on the train,” she smiles and pulls him in for a hug. It only lasts a moment but it still makes his breath hitch. The scent of _Alpha_ and _safety_ uncurls something inside him and it takes all Stiles’ willpower not to grab at her luxurious coat and hold on for dear life.

“How are you?”

“Good,” he manages and hopes she doesn’t hear how much his teeth chatter. “Um, I…”He desperately tries to think of anything else to say but she’s already looking somewhere behind him and gives someone a small wave. “I’m sorry, excuse me,” she smiles apologetically and is gone.

Stiles clenches his jaw and keeps staring ahead, even as the tears start to blur his vision. _Why the fuck are you crying,_ a voice in his head says and it sounds so much like Alpha Gerard it makes him shudder. _Why would she want to talk to you, be glad she even stopped to say hi._

The train slowly finishes the fourth loop, or is the fifth already? He lost count, focusing on locking his muscles so as not to shake too much and on keeping his meltdown at bay.

“I’m sorry, just had to tell my husband where to meet me, here-“ Stiles turns around in disbelief and sees Talia is back, only this time carrying two mugs of hot chocolate with a generous amount of whipped cream.

“It’s cold today,” she remarks as she hands him one cup and waves at Claudia who is just getting off the train.

Stiles is unable to tear his gaze away from the mug in hands, savoring the heavenly warmth that spreads from his hands, making his fingers tingle.

“How are you holding up?” she asks and Stiles feels her bright eyes bore into him. He starts to fidget, unable to stand still under the scrutiny.

“Good?” he tries again but it sounds weak and pathetic.

“Oh, Stiles,” she sighs unhappily and pulls him in for another hug. He stays carefully still, even as his heart is trying to beat its way out of his chest, clutching at the mug he’s holding between them, while she rubs soothing circles on his back. A serenity he hasn’t felt in ages fills his mind and the anxiety fades to the background, far enough that it can be easily ignored. He lets out a shaky breath and lets his head rest on the soft fabric of her coat. They don’t speak and only when Claudia joins them does she pull away.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” she gives her the second mug and Claudia’s eye grow wide.

“Thank you,” she beams.

“You’re very welcome. Are you here to see Santa?”

Claudia nods enthusiastically. “I need to ask him for something.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll get it, you’re such a good girl.”

“I’m doing some Christmas shopping. Every year I promise not to leave it to the last moment and look at me,” she turns to Stiles. “I gotta run but you should come to lunch this Friday. We’re having a little get together. Nothing fancy, definitely don’t worry about presents or anything but I’d love to have you there.”

“I, uh…” Stiles’ tries to get his mind back online. He should say no. This is a bad idea. He can already imagine his dad’s disapproval. He has not place among these people, he shouldn’t bother them. And what if Derek’s there? Is he going to be pissed at Stiles for intruding on their family lunch only because his mom apparently has a soft spot for broken little things like Stiles? The polite refusal is stuck in his throat, though. He’s lonely and tired of always being home alone while his dad is at work chasing bad guys.

“I don’t have a car,” is all he manages eventually.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll pick you up,” she waves her hand. She notes down the address and gives them one last smile. “Great. I really have to go before the crowds get here but I’ll see you on Friday.”

Stiles and Claudia finish their cooling chocolate and take a stroll through the mall, just admiring the window displays and festive decorations. Claudia stops in one of the stores to stare longingly at a plush reindeer but when Stiles explains to her that they only have enough money for the ride back, she nods solemnly and moves on.

When they finally get to Santa, the line is already forming. Claudia watches the large man in his red suit and impressive beard with trepidation and presses closer.

“Do you want to say hi?” Stiles asks her gently and she only shakes her head and grabs his hand.

“Okay. You don’t have to. We’ll write him a letter, hm?”

On their way home, Claudia lays her head on his lap and starts to doze off. “Claudia?” he says as he runs his fingers through her hair, lost in thought. “We’re not going to tell grandpa about today, okay?”

She just grins mischievously and nods. Guilt sits heavy in his stomach but he decides to ignore it. Instead he closes his eyes as well and allows himself to feel excited about the upcoming Friday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's going to show up at the Hale family lunch?


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter we all have been waiting for:)

Derek hears his phone vibrate from where it’s buried under a pile of clothes somewhere in the living room, but he doesn’t bother checking it. It’s only his mom or Laura who ever text him. It’s been a week since his visit to the Stilinski’s and he still hasn’t heard a word from Stiles so he’s got the hint. And it’s fine, he tries to tell himself, it really is. It’s not like Stiles owes him anything, and if he doesn’t want anything to do with Derek, he has every right to ignore him.

He still misses him, though. And Claudia. He had no idea he could miss someone so much after knowing them for such a short time. But then why did it feel so wrong when he put all their stuff away in boxes and stored them in what he came to think of as Stiles’ bedroom. The apartment looks so empty now and he hates it, hates it even more than he hated it before he met Stiles, and he didn’t know that was even possible.

He throws some frozen pizza in the oven and just as he is about to resume mindlessly watching whatever show is currently on, there’s a knock on the door. He has half a mind to pretend he’s not home but when it comes again, it sounds angry and urgent and he hurries to get the door.

Sure enough, it’s Laura is standing in the hallway.

“Are you okay?” She asks as her eyes scan Derek from head to toe.

“Yeah?” he answers uncertainly. “Ow!” He doesn’t expect the punch Laura lands on his shoulder. She’s surprisingly strong and he rubs the sore spot.

“Then what the fuck, Derek! Why don’t you answer your fucking phone!” She walks past him into the apartment, clearly still fuming.

“I’m sorry,” he tries feebly.

“For fuck’s sake, Derek. I thought you were over this. We’re not trying to ruin your life or anything, we’re just worried.”

“I know,” he says softly.

Laura takes a deep breath and looks around the apartment. “Where’s Stiles?”

Obviously, Derek’s told his family about Stiles being found and rescued and about becoming his Alpha. It seems they have assumed that he moved in with him, though, and it sends a pang of resentment through his body.

“Home. With his dad. Where else would he be,” he can’t help but add.

“Oh.” Understanding dawns on her face but fortunately she doesn’t comment.

They end up eating the pizza together and watching TV, with Laura throwing her legs on the coffee table. He would probably never admit it out loud, but he’s grateful for the company, even if they don’t really talk. It’s comforting, just sitting pressed side to side, knowing that no small talk is expected of him and all he has to do is just _be_ there.

It’s getting late though and Laura gets from the couch with a reassuring pat on Derek’s shoulder. “A word of advice. Give Stiles some time. He’s been through a lot. And if he’s not interested, his loss. It’s not your fault,” she shrugs. “And stop moping for fuck’s sake!”

 

Giving Stiles time turns out to be more difficult than he anticipated. With not much else to occupy his mind, he finds himself thinking about him more than is probably healthy. He even drives outside their home a couple of times, _almost_ stopping but then just hitting the gas pedal instead. He’s not some stalker, he tells himself, he’s not going to make Stiles feel pressured. He’s had no control over his life for long enough. Derek needs to let Stiles make the decision on his own and in his own time. He only hopes Stiles knows how much he cares about him.

In the evening, when he turns on the news to chase away the unnatural quiet, he almost chokes on his beer when he sees Stiles’ face. Derek watches the report with a growing annoyance. They really need to leave Stiles out of it but it seems various groups of omega rights activist jumped at the case to prove their point. At the same time, more and more similar cases of omegas being abused or taken against their will are coming to the surface and it makes Derek sick to his stomach.

Before he met Stiles, he never paid omegas too much mind. He accepted what they’ve been taught in school, that they are unstable, emotional creatures that need an Alpha to ground them and help them through their biannual heats. After they presented, they had two years to find their own Alpha, otherwise one was assigned to them by the omega center. That was it. It sounded like a reasonable system, designed to make sure omegas are taken care of. At least that’s what Derek thought until he got a chance to glance beyond the surface.

The only other omega he really met before was Peter’s wife and they were such a happy couple. They met already at high school and mated right after both of them presented. Derek never thought twice about it.

Maybe he hasn’t met any more omegas because they’re all locked inside the house, serving their Alphas, Derek realizes and the thought twists his stomach in knots.

Unable to look at Stiles’ face for any longer or listen to some politicians bicker about what omegas need or don’t need, he turns the TV off. He crawls in the bed, burying his head under the pillow, hoping sleep would take him under soon so that he can escape the turmoil in his head.

 

It gets easier as time goes on. Derek falls back to the same routines, only tries not to shut everyone off again, which is easier said than done. He exchanges daily texts with Laura and comes for lunch on Sundays.

With Christmas drawing nearer he spends hours browsing the net for presents for his family. He even gets something for Stiles and Claudia. It will be a perfect excuse to drop by again. Nobody can say a word when it’s Christmas right?

Derek rubs his tired eyes and closes his laptop. Shopping is exhausting. He can’t imagine having to leave his apartment, he’d probably just get socks for everyone only to get it over with.

He’s about to turn in when his phone beeps. Laura’s face pops up on the screen and Derek smiles. She texts him every evening, like clockwork. He expected the usual _good night_ text and frowns when he reads: _Don’t forget about this Friday. You’d better come._

Oh, Derek thinks, _that_. He almost forgot about their traditional Christmas party. Most of the extended family celebrate Christmas eve in the peace of their homes with their kids and so they meet for a lunch a week before. He feels a spike of anxiety just thinking about all the looks he’ll get. Pity, compassion, sympathy… He doubts there’s anyone who hasn’t seen the news yet.

 _I’ll be there_ , he texts anyway, because there is really no escaping this.

 

The Hale house is buzzing with people by the time he finally arrives. His mom greets him at the door with a peck on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re here,” she whispers with a wink and disappears inside the house before Derek can ask her what that was supposed to mean.

It doesn’t take long for him to find out though. He barely steps inside the living room before he hears the familiar high-pitched squeal.

“Derek!”

He almost loses his balance as Claudia crashes into him with full force and hugs his legs. His heartbeat doubles in speed at the sight of her long unruly brown hair. When he picks her up she wraps her arms around his neck and just holds him, kicking her legs excitedly.

“Claudia,” he laughs still in disbelief. “Good to see you too. What are you doing here? And where’s…”

Stiles. When he lifts her eyes from Claudia, he notices him immediately, standing at the other side of the room, watching Derek with slightly wide eyes. He looks… he looks like shit, Derek realizes with a sinking stomach. There are circles under his eyes so dark they look like bruises and it seems he lost a couple of pounds since the last time he saw him, judging from the protruding cheekbones and bony shoulders that even that plaid shirt can’t hide. There’s a certain frailty around him, made so much more prominent by the nervous and unsure look on his pale face.

What makes Derek come undone, though, is the little smile Stiles gives him when their eyes meet. There’s so much raw hope and insecurity in it that Derek feels his heart will break.

“I’m gonna say hi to your daddy, okay?”

Claudia doesn’t protest when he puts her down. He walks towards Stiles, feeling the eyes of everyone on him.

“Derek, hi, I’m...”

“Come here,” he takes him by his wrist and gently leads him out of the room, away from the curious gaze of his sisters and cousins.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude or anything, your mom invited me, we can leave if you want…” Stiles babbles the whole way to one of the empty spare rooms.

“Shuddup,” Derek mumbles when the door finally closes behind them and wraps Stiles in a hug. He goes very still and for a moment Derek’s afraid that he overstepped his welcome but then Stiles melts into the touch and hides his face in Derek’s chest.

Stiles’ sweet omega scent is tainted with so much misery and anxiety. Derek holds him even tighter, as if that could somehow make it all better.

“Oh, I missed you,” Stiles breaks the silence after a long time and when he pulls away, his cheeks are a little flushed.

“You did?” Derek can’t help but stare.

“Well, yeah. Claudia did too. I thought maybe you’d come by or something. I mean, I get it if you don’t want to, just…”

“I was waiting for you send me a text or call…”

“What? I don’t have your number,” Stiles says, confused, and dark hot rage explodes inside Derek. Fucking Sheriff. He should have known, how stupid is he?

“Stiles, I…” he begins but before he can finish his sentence, a shrill ringtone cuts him off. Stiles looks around the room, confused.

“I think that’s yours,” Derek nods towards Stiles’ pocket when he makes no move to pick it up or at least silence it.

“Oh!” Stiles fumbles with the phone and his face falls when he looks at the screen. “I’m sorry, I have to take this.”

When Derek hears who’s one the side of the line, he doesn’t bother pretending he’s not listening to the conversation, even though he has to strain his ears to make up all the words.

“Hi dad.”

_“Stiles! Where are you, I came home earlier and you’re gone.”_

“Sorry, we just went to the park with Claudia, I’ll be back in twenty minutes,” Stiles throws Derek an apologetic look at the lie and Derek feels his temper rise again.

“ _No, I know you’re not in the park. So where are you and what the hell are you doing there?”_

“I, uh...”

“ _It doesn’t matter. I’ll pick you up in ten minutes.”_

Derek gestures at Stiles to hand him the phone. He does, even though the uncertainty is plain on his face.

“Sheriff, it’s fine, I’ll drop him off in a while.” Derek ends the call before Stilinski can get a chance to answer and returns the phone to Stiles, who’s standing there, hunched, looking like a heap of misery.

“Come on, let’s get you home. I’d love to have a word with your dad, anyway.”

They say quick goodbyes, Stiles dragging pouting Claudia behind him. Derek ignores his mom’s glare that bores holes into the back of his head as he gets in the car and slams the door with a loud bang. He’s fuming, he knows it, he just can’t help himself. He’s pissed. Pissed at the sheriff but also at himself for not doing more, not trying harder. And he needs to hold onto the anger, it’s far easier to deal with that than the heartbreak that lurks just around the corner of his mind.

“Are you mad at me?” Stiles says in a small voice half-way through the drive.

“What?” Derek barks and immediately regrets it when he sees Stiles flinch. He takes a deep breath through his nose before answering. “No. No, I’m not mad at you, Stiles. I could never. I’m just… sorry I wasn’t there,” he finishes quietly. Stiles doesn’t answer but he looks even more confused than before and they lapse into silence again.

The sheriff is already waiting in front of the house when they arrive, looking as mad as Derek feels.

“Claudia, go wait inside, it’s cold. I’ll be there in a minute,” Stiles nudges her towards the house as he glances between the two of them, clearly sensing the confrontation that is about to come.

“You should go, too,” the Sheriff nods towards Stiles.

“Oh no, I think he should stay,” Derek disagrees which wins him a hateful glare from the man. He doesn’t falter, though, and just glares back.

“I don’t know what your problem is.”

“My _problem_ is that you’re a liar,” Derek snarls. Stilinski opens his mouth, doubtless to spew some more lies but Derek just shouts over him. “You said you’d give him my number.”

“What?” He hears Stiles gasp next to him.

“You told me he didn’t want to see me!”  

 “You need to leave,” Stilinski says coldly and his hand wanders down to his belt automatically, probably where his gun would normally be if he was in his uniform.

Derek ignores him and just turns to Stiles, who is still looking at his father with an uncomprehending and hurt expression. “If you want me to leave, Stiles, I will go right now. But you are also welcome to both stay with me for as long as you want.”

“Stiles, go inside,” the Sheriff orders in a clipped voice. “We’ll talk about it later.”

“I think,” Stiles says slowly after a long silence. “I think we all need some time to cool down. I’ll grab Claudia.”

He runs inside the house and is back in just two minutes with Claudia on one of his arms and the still unopened PS4 box under the other. He gets in the car without sparing the Sheriff a single look, even as his angry commands slowly turn into pleading for Stiles to be reasonable.

Derek doesn’t waste any more time. He gets behind the wheel and they’re off.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a short, little, tiny update before I have to leave you (I'm visiting my parents, I usually don't even unpack my laptop, that's how busy it is there).
> 
> Enjoy!

The drive to Derek’s apartment passes in a tense silence and when the finally stop in front of the building, Stiles makes no move to get out. Derek gives him time and stares patiently ahead of the car on the empty road.

“It’s not that late,” Stiles says finally. “We could still make it in time for lunch.”

Claudia perks up on Stiles’ lap, looking at Derek expectantly.

“You wanna go back?”

“Yeah. If you don’t mind. I mean, it was really shitty running off like that. And I am hungry. Plus, I was looking forward to it the whole week, I’m not gonna let my dad ruin that,” he grits out, anger flashing in his golden-brown eyes.

“Okay,” Derek says hesitantly. “But you know my mom’s not going to be angry or anything. She’ll understand.”

“I know,” Stiles answers, his jaw set in a stubborn line. He fishes out his phone from the back pocket, turns it off and throws it carelessly to the glove department. “I’d like to go. Please.”

“Alright,” Derek relents and starts the car with a sigh. They do make it on time. His mom only raises an inquiring eyebrow at Derek but when he shakes his head, she lets it go.

The lunch passes without incidents, even though Derek barely registers what he’s eating. Stiles smiles politely, joins the conversation, which is kept safely away from anything that’s going on in the news right now and revolves around some old movies, and even indulges the kids with a game of hide a seek. Derek can tell he’s trying hard to look okay but it is clear his mind is miles away.

The afternoon slowly turns into early evening and most of the family have already gone their way. Despite Talia’s protest, Stiles insists on helping with the clean-up. Now that everything is sparkling clean and the dishwasher is humming in the kitchen, Stiles is sitting curled up in one of the huge armchairs, sipping his third cup of coffee. Not that Derek’s counting. Well okay, he is counting and is currently debating whether he should just pour out the rest in the pot before Stiles gets himself a fourth cup.

“We should probably go,” Derek sits on the armrest, gently nudging Stiles, who is jerks at the contact.

“Yeah. You’re right. Claudia, let’s go,” Stiles agrees reluctantly and slowly gets up from the chair. She follows without protest, yawning all the way. She almost falls asleep on their drive back and when they’re finally inside Derek’s apartment, Stiles immediately sends her to brush her teeth and get ready for bed.

Once alone in the room, Stiles tenses and glances at Derek uncertainly. He looks exhausted, like he’s barely keeping up on his feet.

“Can we please not do this right now?”

“Sure. It’s been a long day. Get some rest.”

Stiles nods gratefully and head towards the bathroom too. Derek sees him hesitate as he is about to walk past Derek, lingering just within arm’s reach. He doesn’t say anything, or even look at Derek, keeping his eyes downcast the entire time, but Derek still gets the hint and wraps Stiles in another hug. His assumption proves correct as Stiles all but sags in the embrace and clutches at Derek’s shirt with desperation that makes Derek’s heart ache.

His breathing grows ragged and he stifles a sob.

“It’s okay,” Derek says uselessly as he runs his hand up and down Stiles’ back.

There’s a sound of the toilet’s flushing and Stiles pulls away, hurriedly wiping at eyes just as Claudia emerges from the bathroom.

“G’night, Derek,” Stiles mutters and disappears in his bedroom.

 

Derek wakes up in the middle night and listens carefully into the darkness. A soft tapping and a flickering light are coming from the under the door and Derek gets up with a frown.

Sure enough, he finds Stiles sitting cross legged on the couch, Playstation controller in his lap.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you up? I muted all the sounds…” he whispers nervously when he notices Derek standing there. Derek shakes his head and joins him on the couch. Stiles resumes the game after a while and Derek just watches him wordlessly.

“I just wanted to finish the mission….”

“Can’t sleep, huh?”

“No, it’s just… I guess I have a lot of thinking to do…”

Derek doesn’t comment and they lapse into silence again. After a while, Stiles huffs in frustration and hands Derek his phone. “I mean, look at this shit.”

Derek frowns at the notifications.  14 missed calls and 22 unread messages. He scrolls through the texts – they range from short commands to walls of text that Derek doesn’t bother reading. The one-sided conversation ends with _Just let me know ur ok please_ and Derek feels sorry for the man, despite his better judgment.

“What am I supposed to do?” Stiles asks miserably, not tearing his eyes away from the game.

“You should probably let him know you’re okay. Before he shows up here with the entire police force,” Derek sighs and Stiles gives him a slightly betrayed look. “He’s still your dad, Stiles. He worries about you. Just text him that you’re okay and that you’ll talk to him when you’re ready.”

“Urgh, fine. Why you gotta be so reasonable all the time,” Stiles grumbles as he types the text and then throws the phone away. “See, done.”

“Good, now let’s go to bed.”

“But…”

“Seriously, you need to sleep,” Derek says in a tone that brooks no arguments.

“I _can’t_ ,” Stiles looks at him with a hint of desperation. “I just… I have these nightmares and… I hate it. I always think that it was all a dream and I’m back _there_ and Claudia’s gone and… I can never remember where I am or what happened and...I just can’t...”

Derek has no idea what to say to make it better. He is so over his head in this. It’ll probably takes years of therapy for Stiles to get over his past. He doesn’t want to make some empty promises that everything’s going to be okay so he just takes Stiles’ hand in his, noting how delicate and small it feels.

“Come on,” he says softly and leads Stiles to his bedroom. He doesn’t protest and climbs in Derek’s bed without having to be told. Derek throws his arm over Stiles and tucks him close, hopefully to let him smell his Alpha scent.           

“I’ll remind you where you are if have a bad dream. Now go to sleep.”

Stiles is out before he can even answer.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles has a talk with his dad.
> 
> There's a POV switch in the middle

Derek wakes up to the sound of the door opening. It’s already morning, judging from the pale winter light pouring in through the window and Stiles is snoring lightly next to him. His mouth hangs open and a wet stain of saliva is forming on the pillow under his face and Derek still thinks it’s the most beautiful sight he could wake up to.

Then he remembers the sound and his eyes dart to the door. Claudia’s head is peeking inside the room, watching Derek with wary eyes. For a moment, Derek’s worried how it might look to her – Derek and Stiles curled up in a bed under one blanket.

When she doesn’t move, Derek lift the edge of the blanket invitingly and smiles at her. The tension bleeds from her body and she finally pads across the room and jumps in the bed. She wriggles herself between them, elbowing Derek in the process.

 _We need a bigger bed_ , Derek thinks as he tries to make some room for her. After a long minute of adjusting, they’re finally all squeezed under the blanket and a shit-eating grin spreads on Claudia’s face.

She studies Stiles’ unmoving face for a while but grows bored soon when he doesn’t wake up even after her poking him inside the ear.

“Let him sleep,” Derek whispers. “He really needs it.”

She nods solemnly and turns her attention to Derek instead. She runs her hands on Derek’s stubble with fascination, giggling at the sound it makes.

“Alright, you wanna help me make some breakfast?” he asks when it’s clear Claudia’s not going to sleep anymore.

She nods and latches herself around Derek’s neck as he carefully lifts her from the bed so as not to wake up Stiles.

Breakfast takes them over an hour as Claudia insists on doing everything herself. Derek only leans against the counters and instructs her. The kitchen is a mess afterwards but Derek can’t find it in himself to care when he sees the proud smile on her face as she stirs the batter so fast it splashes all around.

Half-way through their second movie, with breakfast long eaten, Stiles finally stumbles out of the bedroom. Already he looks much better, even with the pillow lines still visible on his face.

“What year is it?” he croaks, eliciting a giggle from Claudia.

“Good morning. Slept well?”

“Oh yeah,” he sighs contently. “You’re not getting rid of me anytime soon, you’d better get used to me occupying your bed,” he jokes but then quickly backtracks and looks at Derek nervously. “I mean, of course that’s up to you, I didn’t mean to assume anything or…”

“Claudia,” Derek interrupts Stiles’ babbling. “You haven’t brushed your teeth yet. Chop chop!” Derek nods towards the bathroom and waits for her to disappear inside. Once alone, he quickly crosses the distance between them and takes Stiles’ hand.

“I feel like I really need to say this out loud. After everything… I like you a lot, Stiles. I wanna be with you. And I want you to stay. And Claudia, of you course.” He hurries to get it all out before anything can stop him again.

A dopey grin spreads on Stiles’ face. “I like you, too,” is all he manages to get out before Claudia comes out of the bathroom, looking at them curiously, her pink toothbrush still hanging out of her mouth.

 

 

*

It takes three days for Stiles to finally find the guts to talk to his dad. In the meantime, his phone keeps vibrating almost nonstop and he keeps ignoring it despite _the look_ Derek gives him every time the damn thing buzzes.

They agree to meet in a nearby café. Neutral ground sounds like a good idea right now. Derek offers to go with him but Stiles knows he needs to do this alone.

“Okay, but I’ll go with you and take Claudia to the park around the corner. If you need anything, just text me and we’ll be there in two minutes.”

It is weirdly reassuring to know Derek’s got his back even though rationally, Stiles knows his not in any danger from his dad. It’s his _dad_ for fuck’s sake. They’ve been through a lot together, especially after Stiles’ mom had died and it was only the two of them. It was a struggle to find a way to each other, it seemed like his dad’s way of coping with the loss was just to become closed off and distant and it took a long time for Stiles to break through the shell. Even now, years after the tragedy, he is not quite the same smiling carefree man Stiles remembers from his childhood.

Stiles has already finished his cappuccino by the time his dad walks in. His eyes dart around the room anxiously and he sags a little in relief when he notices Stiles sitting there. He gives him a small terse smile and sits on the other side of the table.

There’s a long awkward silence in which nobody seems to know what to say.

“I’m sorry, Stiles,” his dad says finally and Stiles thinks it’s a good start. A smart move. It doesn’t mean he’s forgiven, though, and so he just nods to acknowledge the apology.

“I just… I didn’t want to see you get hurt again.”

“So you thought you’d just, what – lie to me?”

“I’m sorry I lied but I only wanted you to be safe. You were in the middle of your heat, you’d think I’d just tell Derek _sure, go ahead, my son’s in his bedroom, be my guest?_ ”

“You don’t know him!”

“Neither do you! You’ve known him for what, a month? He got your head all messed up with his Alpha pheromones.”

Stiles just gapes at him in disbelief. “You think I can’t make my own decision because I’m an omega?”

“Don’t twist my words,” his dad snaps. “What I’m saying is, he helped you and you instantly mistake gratitude for affection. After being so long with Argent, you jump at the first Alpha who shows you any kindness. You’re not thinking straight.”

Stiles feels like crying again and he absolutely hates it. He digs his fingernails in the palms of his hands to keep the tears at bay. “You’re wrong,” he only manages and it sounds pathetic despite his best efforts.

“I bet he’s being all nice and friendly right now but what if he snaps next week and hurts you? Locks you in a basement or something? He can do anything to you. Think of Claudia. You’re putting her at the mercy of a man you barely know. I’m your father, Stiles. Come home with me.”

All blood drains from Stiles’ face and he just shakes his head, as the first tears roll down his cheeks. He’s wrong. Derek would never hurt them. He likes Stiles, he said himself. And in his arms, it’s like nothing can ever touch him. Derek keeps all the nightmares away, why can’t his dad see?

“What about – move back home and Derek can visit you any time? You can get to know him over time, get to _really_ know him before moving in together.”

For a moment, the idea sounds reasonable, tempting even. But then he remembers the solitude, the oppressing silence and suffocating atmosphere of his old childhood bedroom and he shakes his head resolutely.

“I think _you_ should get to know Derek better. Why don’t _you_ come visit us?”

“Stiles,” his dad says warningly but Stiles just gets up to leave. He’s heard enough. “Stiles, please. You’re everything I ever cared about. I can’t lose you again.” This time the tone is pleading and it takes all Stiles’ willpower to keep walking. Once he’s out, he jogs to the park, breathless by the time he finally gets to Derek.

“Can we go?”

Derek doesn’t ask anything, for which Stiles is eternally grateful, just coaxes Claudia to get in the car and they leave.

He’s quiet for the rest of day, lost in thought, replaying the conversation over and over in his head. He keeps freezing and just staring ahead, unable to get himself to move, and only after Derek gently lays his hand on his shoulder does he snap out of it.

In the evening, Derek single-handedly drags the bed from the spare room and moves it to his bedroom. The two beds pushed together take up most of the room, leaving only a small space to squeeze through to get to the door.

“It’ll have to do for now,” Derek sighs but it looks perfect to Stiles. Claudia loves it too. She spends an hour jumping on the two beds until she’s all flushed and sweaty. At least she tires herself out and she’s fast asleep almost immediately once Stiles tucks her in.

Stiles silently closes the door behind him as he leaves the bedroom. Derek’s sitting on the couch with his tablet and snaps his head up when he hears Stiles.

“She’s asleep already? That was quick”

“Yeah, she was beat.”

“Come here,” Derek puts the tablet away and extends his arms invitingly. Stiles doesn’t have to be told twice. He curls up around Derek, tucking his head in the favorite spot in the crook of Derek’s neck.

Derek runs his fingers through Stiles’ hair and it sends shivers of pleasure through his whole body. He doesn’t pry, ask him about how it went with his dad, seemingly content to just hold Stiles close.

“Apparently, my dad thinks you’re some kind of psycho and you’re only waiting for me to lower my guards to show your true face.”

Derek snorts through his nose. “I take it he doesn’t have the best track record with Alphas?” Stiles shakes his head miserably against Derek’s t-shirt. “He’ll come around, don’t worry.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. Give him time.”

“Hm,” grumbles unhappily but can’t hold onto the sour mood when Derek places a soft kiss on the top of his head.

“Come on, let’s go to bed.”

They find Claudia sprawled over a half of their newly created king size bed but it doesn’t matter. They don’t need all that space, as Stiles curls up as close to Derek as possible.

 _Safe_ , he thinks groggily and lets the sleep take over.       

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uff... what a week I had... still managed to finish this chapter, yay!


	22. Chapter 22

 

The next day they go buy a Christmas tree. This close to Christmas, the selection is dwindling but Claudia manages to find one she loves anyway. It’s huge and Stiles only hopes it’ll fit despite Derek’s reassurances that it will.

“We’ll chop the top off if it doesn’t,” Derek jokes and ruffles Claudia’s hair when she frowns disapprovingly.

It turns out Derek was right. Together they manage to drag it inside the apartment, losing half the needles along the way, but it fits and it’s beautiful. Immediately Claudia dives in the ornament and gets to work.

“I’ve never had a tree here before,” Derek says, eying the monstrosity of a tree.

“Why not?”

“Dunno. Felt like too much work when it was just me, anyway. I like it, though.”

“Yeah, me too. But, uh..” Stiles throws a look towards Claudia but she’s too engrossed in decorating to pay them any mind. “I don’t really have any presents. All my stuff’s at dad’s and I don’t have any money…”

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t expect any presents.”

Stiles nods unhappily. Of course Derek doesn’t expect anything. That doesn’t mean Stiles doesn’t want to give him something. How stupid will he feel when Derek gets him a gift and he has nothing in return? Not to mention that he’d love to get something for Claudia. That’s the way it is, though. Alphas go to work and hold all the money, while omegas are supposed to stay at home and take care of the household and their Alpha. It’s absolutely not Stiles’ place to waste Derek’s money on gifts he doesn’t even want.

After lunch he puts Claudia down for a nap. He lies down with her and immediately falls asleep, probably even faster than Claudia, despite having slept a good eight hours the previous night. His body is probably still desperate to catch up on some sleep.

He wakes up groggy and disoriented. Derek is nowhere to be seen but before Stiles can work himself into panic, he notices a sticky note on the fridge. _Went grocery shopping_ , it says and Stiles has to smile at Derek’s small neat handwriting. It’s so old-fashioned and Stiles loves it. Derek could have sent a text instead, but the note just feels so… homely. Like an old couple. He carefully folds the sticky note and hides it in the drawer for safe keeping.

It’s getting late when Derek comes back, carrying a large paper bag of groceries and a duffle bag over his shoulder. Stiles automatically joins Derek in stocking the food into fridge and pantry and eyes the bag curiously.

“What have you got in there?”

“It’s, uh… well, it’s your stuff. Not all of it, just what I could think of…”

“You went to my dad’s?” Stiles asks incredulously.

“Yeah. We chatted a little. I assured him I’m definitely not some kinds of psycho. He didn’t look too convinced but… He didn’t try to shoot me so I still count it as a win.”

Stiles just shakes his head at loss for words. Maybe Derek’s right. Maybe he’ll come around after all.

Later in the evening, Stiles is digging through the stuff Derek brought. There are some of his favorite plaid shirts and hoodies, his ancient laptop and the bag with crafts supplies he ordered mostly for Claudia. He inspects the insides of the bag and an idea pops in his head when he sees the balls of yarn that he never got to use.

There’s a knock on the door and Stiles quickly throws the things back in the duffle bag. “Yeah?” he calls out and watches Derek come in, his face twisted in an uncomfortable expression.

“Um, there’s something I wanted to give you.” He holds out a wad of bills towards Stiles who just stares at him. “You know, for your personal use. I’ll get you your own card after Christmas, this is just… I don’t know, pocket money.”

“Are you crazy? I can’t take that.”

“Of course you can. It’s yours. Use it however you want.”

Stiles takes the money hesitantly. This is embarrassing. But he doesn’t have a cent in his name and can’t really see himself getting a job any time soon. Not that many places are willing to hire omegas, anyway. “Thank you,” he mutters and resolves not to spend it unless absolutely necessary.

 *

When Christmas finally rolls around, Stiles is probably more eager than Claudia. It’s not that surprising, Stiles supposes. This is her first proper Christmas. Stiles never told her about Santa before, when they still lived at Argent’s. She would have probably thought that she wasn’t good enough or that Santa forgot about her when she didn’t get any presents and it would break Stiles’ heart. So it was a fairly new concept for her and they decided to keep it simple.

More than about the Christmas diner, Stiles is anxious about his dad’s visit. They’ve been exchanging polite yet slightly stand-offish texts for days now and this is the first time he’s coming to see them. Naturally, Stiles has been cleaning the already sparkling apartment the whole day, moving things around and fluffing pillows for the tenth time, until Derek drags him to the couch, wrapping him in his arms, and forcing him to watch some old Christmas movie together. Not that Stiles complaints. Derek’s chest is by far his most favorite pillow to nap on and he’s tired. Last night he snuck out of bed to work on Derek’s present. It took him frustratingly long and it was almost morning by the time he finally made it back to bed.

Stiles’ dad comes later in the afternoon and the visit is surprisingly uneventful, despite the initial tension in the room. He brings a new board game for Claudia, which was a really brilliant idea, Stiles thinks. The spend the evening engrossed in the game, drink one beer, talk about the weather and then John’s gone again.

Still, Stiles feels completely emotionally exhausted from the short visit and holds Derek extra tight that evening when falling asleep.

\--

 

On the Christmas morning, Derek and Stiles are already in the living room, when Claudia timidly opens the bedroom door. Her eyes immediately dart under the tree and when she sees the small pile of wrapped presents, her face splits in a huge grin.

Stiles helps her pass the presents around. There’s really not much. Two packages for Claudia, one for Stiles and one for Derek. Stiles’ heart does a little flip when he sees Derek raise his eyebrows in surprise as Claudia passes him the clumsily wrapped gift. Stiles guesses he managed to keep his little surprise a secret, then.

Claudia lets out a delighted squeal when she opens the first package and pulls out a dress. It’s long-sleeved, warm-looking with a wide sparkling skirt. She immediately slips into it and spins around.

“I’m beautiful!” she screeches and runs towards the mirrors where she spends long minutes just twirling around, enjoying the swishing of the fabric around her.

In the end, they have to coach her to even open the second gift and Stiles is secretly glad they only decided on two.  The other gift is large Lego set that they chose together online, with lots of animals and slides and a Ferris wheel and Stiles is sure who’s more looking forward to playing with it.

Stiles’ hands shake a little when unwraps his present and he feels a little like crying when he pulls out Star Wars blue rays, the original trilogy. Of course Derek heard him talking about his favorite movies during the lunch at Hale’s. He wants to hug the fuck out of him but then remembers Claudia and settles for “Thank you, Santa” and shoots him a smile.

When it’s Derek’s turn to open his present, Stiles scoots a little closer and watches him intently as he unpacks the scarf he spent the whole night knitting. The smile on Derek’s way looks way too genuine to be fake and Stiles feels a little giddy.

“I know it’s ugly,” Stiles says later, when Claudia’s not within the earshot. “You don’t actually have to wear it.”

“I think it’s perfect. Thank you,” Derek leans in and pecks a little kiss on Stiles’ mouth. It feels like the most natural thing and Derek probably didn’t even realize what he’s doing. Stiles, on the other hand, is grinning like an idiot the entire evening and doesn’t bother even trying to conceal it.

 

The following day, Talia offers to take Claudia, together with other kids, for the day. Stiles is a little hesitant to let her go without him but she pulls out her saddest puppy eyes and he just can’t say no. And Derek promises he’s going to make his mom update him every ten minutes, so Stiles supposes it should be fine.

Once she’s out of the apartment, they let out a little sigh and immediately exchange guilty looks.

“Oh my god, I’m the worst parent but it’s so peaceful and quiet.”

“Come on, let’s watch some non-animated movie, eat chocolate and drink wine.”

They end up doing just that and after just one glass of wine, Stiles feels a pleasant buzz thrumming under his skin. He is suddenly acutely aware of how close Derek is, of their thighs touching, separated by only the thin fabric of his sweats.

Stiles steals a glance at Derek and catches him watching him back. The movie suddenly forgotten, Stiles is the first one to lean into the kiss. It’s nothing like the chaste peck they exchanged earlier; instead, it’s slow and languish, and it makes Stiles’ head spin.

Encouraged by the wine coursing through his veins, Stiles straddles Derek and deepens the kiss. Derek’s stubble scratches his cheeks but his lips are soft and warm. Stiles loses track of time, and everything is reduced to Derek, his hands running up and down his back, and his tongue, exploring and tasting Stiles’ mouth.

When they finally pull apart, Stiles is panting. He is hard, he realizes, as is Derek, his erection pressing where Stiles is sitting on his lap. Ice cold dread starts to creep around the edge of Stiles’ awareness and tries to stump it down.

Stiles struggles to bring his mind back to Derek, his muscled chest and his lips currently sucking at his neck, but his heart is beating too fast and he can’t get enough air in. What was he thinking? He just wanted to kiss Derek. He’s not ready to… he can’t…

Derek’s hands stray lower and he cups Stiles ass. The visceral reaction makes his whole body shudder and before he can’t stop himself, he whispers: “ _Please don’t_ ”.

He regrets it immediately and half-hopes Derek hasn’t heard him but it’s too late. Derek freezes for a second and then lets go fast. Stiles feels cold at the loss of contact and looks at Derek pleadingly.

“I’m sorry, I’m fine, I panicked but I’m fine, I swear.”

“Hush,” Derek says gently and maneuvers Stiles out of his lap and next to him. He grabs the blanket from the backrest and wraps him in it like a cocoon. He then guides him to lean against Derek and throws his arm around him.

“Derek, I-”

“Shh, it’s okay. You’re fine. Let’s finish the movie, hm?”

Despite everything, Stiles feels a small smile tug at his lips. Derek’s right. They’re going to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, I thought I will never finish this chapter!
> 
> Okay, I have some bad news. This story will be done soon - probably only one more chapter. I'm sorry but it's getting impossible for me to find time to write and I really want to wrap this up (even though I originally planned to include more things). My 9-month old stopped sleeping in the morning and in the evenings I'm usually too beat. I will probably make this a series and maybe post some time-stamps or something...
> 
> I also have plans for other fics I'd love to write (more slave fic with Sterek, suprise suprise!) but I guess I won't have time to start working on them now. I also have some one-shot ideas I'd love to try, we'll see... Don't be sad though, I'm definitely not going to stop writing, I just have to wait for my kids to start sleeping again!:)


	23. Epilogue

1.5 years later

 

“Claudia, get dressed, we’re leaving,” Stiles repeats for the tenth time.

“Okay,” she mumbles, not bothering to lift her eyes from the playhouse she’s playing with, and makes no move to get up.

“Claudia,” Derek says with the slightest hint of warning in his tone and she immediately runs off to get some clothes.

“I have absolutely no authority in this family,” Stiles sighs long-sufferingly. Derek pulls him in for a hug, placatingly kissing him on his forehead. “You know she’s just testing you.”

“Yeah I know. I just naively thought I have time until puberty.”

In ten minutes they are finally out of the door, Claudia bouncing excitedly by their side. Derek heads automatically to his Camaro but Stiles stops him.

“Nuh-uh. We’re taking the Jeep and I’m driving!”

The old blue Jeep is currently his most favorite thing ever. He chose it himself after getting the driver’s license and refusing to drive Derek’s Camaro, too afraid of scratching Derek’s prized possession.

The ride is short and Stiles feels himself grinning the entire time, his heart already beating in anticipation. Derek is watching him with a bemused smile and rolls his eyes fondly.

“You just can’t wait to gloat, can you? Oh, we’ll see.”

Ever since they found out, they’ve had a running bet and have been teasing each other, both convinced that they’re right. It’s just a game, though. Stiles enjoys this friendly bickering with Derek way too much.

“It doesn’t matter, though, right?” Stiles asks, suddenly serious and desperate to hear Derek say it out loud.

“Of course not,” Derek assures him, squeezing his thigh shortly.

The waiting room is empty and they barely have time to sit down before they are called in by a smiling nurse. Stiles’ heart is beating faster by the minute, the gleeful eagerness slowly turning to anxiety. He’s been looking forward to their appointment for weeks, counting the days, and now that it’s here, he’s scared. What if something’s wrong? He’s never had one of these done before so it was easier not to worry but now…

They all squeeze into the small, dimly lit room. After a bit of maneuvering, Derek lifts Claudia on his lap and sits in the chair by the wall. There’s a huge screen in the corner, in clear view for everyone in the room but right now, it only shows a logo of the machine waiting inconspicuously by the comfy-looking bed.

Stiles lowers himself on the bed, hating the crinkling sound of the paper. It immediately brings back memories of the omega center and Stiles feels his throat constrict even more. The doctor is saying something but Stiles doesn’t even pretend to listen, too focused on getting in enough oxygen.

Derek gently pries Stiles’ hand from where it is desperately wringing the fabric of his shirt and gives him a reassuring squeeze. Stiles shoots him a grateful look and feels himself calm down immediately, focusing on the warmth of Derek’s palm.

A blob of cold gel is squirted on his stomach and the doctor pushes the ultrasound probe with surprising strength to his lower abdomen. After a moment, the screen lights up and Stiles lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when he sees the tiny baby already wiggling around. A rapidly flickering spot in its chest shows the heart pumping and when the doctor turns on sound, a loud _thump thump_ fills the room.

Stiles can only grin, too overwhelmed for words. Derek probably feels the same as he only squeezes Stiles’ hand firmer, looking at the screen in awe. It’s only when Claudia lets out a little sniffle that Derek tears his eyes from the ultrasound.

“What’s wrong baby?”

“I can’t… I don’t see it,” she whines in frustration and angrily wipes at her cheeks.

Derek hoists her up on his hip and gets closer to the screen. “This is the head, see,” he tracks the round shape with his finger. “This is the belly, arms and legs.”

“Oooh,” Claudia’s eyes grow wide with excitement and she smacks a kiss on Derek’s cheek. “Thank you!”

The examination takes long, with the doctor taking her time to check every organ, yet Stiles still can’t get enough.

“Congratulations,” the doctor says finally, handing Stiles a handful of wipes. “It’s a healthy baby girl.”

“Yes!” Claudia squeals from the top of her lungs.

“Ha! I knew it!” Stiles laughs triumphally and sticks his tongue out at Derek who just laughs and shakes his head.

“Alright, you win. I’ll get you your ice cream.”

They leave the office with Claudia blabbering excitedly about her _sister_ the whole way to the car while admiring the stack of ultrasound pictures they got.

“Wanna to check on the house on our way back?” Derek asks as Stiles starts the car.

“Sure.”

They leave the town behind and as he turns on the dirt road, his stomach sinks a little. He still vividly remembers the despair and dread he felt as he carried Claudia on his shoulders on this road just over a year ago. It feels like a life time ago. How the hell did he get so lucky? It is surreal and sometimes he still woke up in sweat, afraid that it was all just a deluded dream that he made up in his head.

But Derek and Claudia are very real and Stiles still feels his chest swell when he realizes they’re _his_. Happy tears prickle his eyes and Stiles shakes his head in disbelief at himself. _Fucking hormones_.

It seems so much closer to the house when they’re in a car and not trudging on foot, hurt and scared in the dark. It also doesn’t look all that menacing now that the burned remains have been cleared and new walls and beams have been erected. All that is left is to put on a new roof and get the interior done.

Derek critically inspects the house. Most of it has been done by a professional company they hired but they’ve been spending the weekends here with Stiles’ dad, helping out and doing whatever they could themselves.

“It’s still a lot of work,” Derek says finally, looking at the work-in-progress unhappily. “I mean the whole interior needs to be refurbished, not to mentioned we still have to buy the furniture for a nursery. And a million of other things. A stroller, a changing table, these little overalls babies sleep in and…” Derek’s voice is an octave higher than usually, with panic clearly written on his face.

Stiles wraps his arms around Derek and just holds on. Sure enough, the scent of a content omega calms Derek down immediately and he takes a deep breath.

“I think we’ll make it alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> First of all, thank you everyone for sticking with me, for reading and commenting. I can't stress this enough. Without all your lovely support, I would have never found the energy or motivation to write, so thank you!
> 
> Second, I know this last chapter is quite a jump in time but I intend to fill in the gaps by short one-shots and time-stamps that I will write whenever I feel like it. I just wanted to have the main story finished so that I don't feel so pressured to update as soon as possible. I am open to suggestions and prompts so feel free to tell me in the comments what you would like to read about! (and don't forget to subscribe to the series if you want to get notifications).
> 
> And lastly, I have plans for other fics - both one-shots and longer slave fics. Starting a new longer fic is quite a commitment for me because once I get started I usually want to update once a week or so. A have an idea for a slave!Derek fic but I'm not sure when I'll get time to write it. If that's something you might want to read, make sure to subscribe!
> 
> I'm looking forward to seeing you at my next fic, whatever that may be:)
> 
> Thank you again!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments keep me going, I love hearing from you!
> 
> You can also visit me at https://paxterhobber.tumblr.com/ to read more about me and my works and for good fic recommendations


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